大象传媒

World number one men's tennis player Novak Djokovic should be deported from Australia if he has not told the truth about his exemption from vaccination rules, the deputy prime minister says.

Barnaby Joyce told the 大象传媒 that rich people "can't wander around the world thinking... they are above the laws".

Djokovic, who had travelled to play in the Australian Open, is in immigration detention after his entry was denied.

A court will decide on whether he should be deported on Monday.

The 34-year-old Serbian player, who has said he is opposed to vaccination, had been granted a medical exemption to play in the tournament in Melbourne for unspecified reasons, a decision that infuriated many Australians.

American tennis player Tennys Sandgren, who is not vaccinated, has publicly slammed Australia for its treatment of Novak Djokovic and pulled out of this year's tournament because of the vaccination requirement.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to know what to make of it. He passed the two doctor's panels for the exemption that had name-anonymity. So then he got cleared to get on a plane to go to Australia. Then lo and behold they put him in holding鈥� and then they deny his visa. Very strange.鈥�

Photo shows: Tennys Sandgren in October, 2021. Credit: Getty Images

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