Player questioned through the night

Transcripts released yesterday reveal how Novak Djokovic was questioned by the Australian Border Force throughout the night at Melbourne airport last week. He admitted he is not vaccinated and presented documents which he said showed his medical exemption due to a previous infection in December. His second interview began at 3.55am.

INTERVIEWER: Now, Novak, based on the information you have provided us, I am just going to issue you a notice of intention to consider cancellation of your visa. I will give you 20 minutes – if you need more time you can request that – and you need to provide us reasons why we shouldn’t cancel the visa. DJOKOVIC: So you’re giving me legally 20 minutes to try to provide additional information that I don’t have? At 4 o’clock in the morning? Later, the officer agreed to wait until the player had spoken to his lawyer after 8am. But that seems to have changed after a second officer took over. Interviewer 2 arrived at 6.07am, and suggested Djokovic makes a decision then and there. INTERVIEWER 2: So you’ve mentioned that... you didn’t want to proceed... now?

DJOKOVIC: I would like to postpone it to 8.30 if possible, yes. INTERVIEWER 2: OK look... you also mentioned earlier that you didn’t really have anything else you could add. DJOKOVIC: But maybe I will have something in a few hours.

INTERVIEWER 2: OK, if you don’t respond then a decision might be made based on the information at hand now. DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I know you’re going to cancel my visa, it’s obvious...’ He was told at 7.38am that it was cancelled.