Daniel Andrews has sent Novak Djokovic some brutal words of advice as the tennis superstar prepares to be deported from Australia after losing an 11th hour legal bid.
The Victoria Premier said he hoped the visa controversy wouldn't take away from Melbourne's 2022 Australian Open - due to kick off in less than 24 hours.
'This tournament, this Grand Slam tournament – one of the big four – is much bigger than any one person,' he told reporters on Sunday.
Mr Andrews said the dramatic media circus could have been avoided if Djokovic had just gotten vaccinated against Covid-19.
'It's very simple, just get vaccinated. And then everyone's time wouldn't have to be wasted with this,' the premier said.
It was announced just before 6pm on Sunday that Djokovic had failed to convince three senior judges of his right to stay in Melbourne.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion had his appeal heard in the Federal Court on Sunday in a last-ditch attempt to stay and compete for the title.
Victoria Premier Dan Andrews (pictured) said he hoped the ongoing visa saga wouldn't take away from Melbourne's 2022 Australian Open
Mr Andrews said the dramatics could have been avoided if Djokovic (pictured) had just gotten vaccinated against Covid-19
While the star fought and won his deportation case in the Federal Court last week, his visa was later overturned by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke.
On Friday, Mr Hawke announced the decision had been made on 'health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so'.
Chief Justice James Allsop said he accepted Djokovic could be seen as 'an iconic sports star that is setting an example that is not ideal to be followed'.
'If Mr Djokovic won the Open, as he has in the past, there is an example embedded in the Minister's reasoning that this is an example for young and not so young fans of tennis.'
The government did not indicate whether they would take up the option to prevent Djokovic from applying for a visa to enter Australia for the next three years.
While the star (pictured leaving the Park Hotel on Sunday) fought and won his deportation case in the Federal Court last week, his visa has been overturned by the Immigration Minister
The Serbian star's visa has been cancelled twice on grounds related to his failure to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
The three senior judges responsible for deciding Djokovic's fate spent hours deliberating on Sunday afternoon after five hours of arguments in court.
Lawyers for the Government insisted the star poses an 'overwhelming risk' to the Australian public - demonstrated by his decision to ignore safety measures in his home country and attend work obligations while knowingly infected with Covid-19.
'The Commonwealth should not be bound to suffer the presence of an alien for fear of what might happen if they were removed,' Stephen Lloyd, for Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, said on Sunday afternoon.
Justice Allsop said he and his colleagues would deliberate on the submissions of both parties for the remainder of Sunday afternoon.
But he came back with their unanimous decision shortly before 6pm, leaving Djokovic's team with no more legal avenues to pursue.
Djokovic was seen leaving the notorious Park Hotel - an immigration detention centre - about 9am AEDT to watch the high-stakes Federal Court proceedings from his lawyer's office nearby
Djokovic was seen leaving the notorious Park Hotel - an immigration detention centre - about 9am AEDT to watch the high-stakes Federal Court proceedings from his lawyer's office nearby.
By his own admission, the tennis star failed to heed the advice of his own government after testing positive to Covid, meeting with a journalist and posing
