Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had spoken to Novak Djokovic after an Australian court decided to deport the tennis player.

“I spoke to Djokovic and told him we cannot wait to see him,” Vucic told reporters.

“I told him he is always welcome in Serbia.”

Alex Hawke, Australia’s Minister for Immigration, has reacted to the ruling: “I welcome today’s unanimous decision by the Full Federal Court of Australia, upholding my decision to exercise my power under the Migration Act to cancel Mr Novak Djokovic’s visa in the public interest.

“Australia’s strong border protection policies have kept us safe during the pandemic, resulting in one of the lowest death rates, strongest economic recoveries, and highest vaccination rates in the world. Strong border protection policies are also fundamental to safe-guarding Australia’s social cohesion which continues to strengthen despite the pandemic.

“Australians have made great sacrifices to get to this point and the Morrison government is firmly committed to protecting this position, as the Australian people expect.”

Governing body Tennis Australia (TA) said on Sunday it respected the decision of Australia’s Federal Court to uphold Novak Djokovic’s visa cancellation which has ruled the defending champion out of the Australian Open.

Djokovic has not been the only player to be deported, Czech doubles player Renata Voracova was deported having entered under the same exemption as the Serbian while a coach and official have also left the country.

TA issued only a brief statement on Sunday, though, saying: “Tennis Australia respects the decision of the Federal Court.

“As per Grand Slam rules, the number one position in the draw has been filled by a lucky loser.

“We look forward to a competitive and exciting Australian Open 2022 and wish all players the best of luck.”

Jan 4: Djokovic reveals he is on his way to the Australian Open under a medical exemption. He writes on Instagram: “I’ve spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I’m heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let’s go 2022!!”

Jan 5: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warns Djokovic he will be on the “next plane home” if his medical exemption is deemed insufficient, and is adamant Djokovic will not receive preferential treatment.

Jan 5: Djokovic’s visa is cancelled upon his arrival in Melbourne. The Australian Border Force announces that the player “failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements for Australia”.

Jan 6: Djokovic is sent to the Park detention hotel in Melbourne, which is used to house refugees and asylum seekers. He launches an appeal, which is adjourned until 10am on January 10. Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic says Djokovic is the victim of “persecution”.

Jan 9: Documents show Djokovic was granted a vaccine exemption to enter Australia because he recorded a positive Covid-19 test in Serbia on December 16. However, social media posts reveal he attended a number of social events in the days following his diagnosis.

Jan 10: Djokovic’s visa cancellation is quashed by Judge Anthony Kelly, who orders the Australian Government to pay legal costs and release Djokovic from detention within half an hour. Djokovic says he is “pleased and grateful” and wishes to “stay and try to compete”.

Jan 11: Djokovic’s title defence remains in doubt as the Immigration Minister ponders whether to override the court’s ruling.

Jan 12: Djokovic admits making an “error of judgement” by attending an interview with a French journalist while Covid positive. He adds that, although he attended a children’s tennis event the day after being tested, he did not receive notification of the positive test until after the event. He also attributed an inaccuracy on his declaration form to an error from his agent.

Jan 13: Djokovic is drawn to face fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.

Jan 14: Immigration Minister Alex Hawke cancels Djokovic’s visa for a second time, saying in a statement it was “on health and good order grounds”.

Jan 14: Djokovic immediately launches another legal challenge and in a hastily-arranged court hearing it emerges Hawke made his decision due to the possibility of Djokovic stoking anti-vaccination sentiment in Australia.

Jan 15: Djokovic is formally detained again and taken back to the Park hotel.

Jan 16: Three judges at the Federal Court of Australia unanimously reject Djokovic’s challenge and he decides not to take his fight any further and accepts deportation.

Novak Djokovic is set for deportation from Australia tonight.

After losing his appeal against the cancellation of his visa on Covid vaccine exemption grounds, the Serbian will now depart 11 days after landing.

He is due to fly out on the 10.30pm local time (11:30am GMT) Emirates flight to Dubai in around two hours

Scott Morrison has stated that “it’s now time to get on with the Australian Open and get back to enjoying tennis over the summer” following an order to deport Novak Djokovic.

A statement read: “The Full Federal Court of Australian unanimously decided to dismiss Mr Novak Djokovic’s application for judicial review which sought to challenge the Minister for Immigration’s decision to cancel his visa.

“This cancellation deicision was made on health, safety and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so.

“I welcome the decision to keep our borders strong and keep Australians safe. As I said on Friday, Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected.

“Over the pandemic, together we have achieved one of the lowest death rates, strongest economies and highest vaccination rates in the world. Strong borders are fundamental to the Australian way of life as is the rule of law.

“Our government has always understood this and has been prepared to take the decisions and actions necessary to protect the integrity of our borders. I thank the Court for this prompt attention to these issues and the patience of all involved as we have worked to resolve this issue. It’s no time to get on with the Australian Open and get back to enjoying tennis over the summer.”

Patrick Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams, has described the Novak Djokovic saga as a mess.

He said: “The big loser of this mess is the tournament.

“The only good news is that we will hopefully start talking about tennis.”

According to Novak Djokovic, one of the defining days of his career came in the summer of 2010. He had already won his first grand slam title, but a recurring shortness of breath was plaguing him in matches. To watch Djokovic now is to see one of the world’s most obstinately enduring athletes in action. He covers the tennis court with almost robotic efficiency, always two steps ahead of his flagging opponents. Back then, it was Djokovic who felt unusually jaded. On several occasions, in the heat of arduous matches, he even called for medical breaks out of fear he might collapse.

Dr Igor Cetojevic, a Serbian who describes himself as a “specialist in energetic medicine”, was put in touch with Djokovic through a mutual friend. The pair met in Croatia, where Cetojevic asked Djokovic to stretch out his left arm while pressing a piece of bread against his stomach. To Djokovic’s surprise, his arm felt appreciably weaker when in close proximity to gluten. As ridiculous as it might seem that such a meticulous player was pliant to such vague “alternative therapies”, it’s possible to see all the success and controversy of Djokovic’s career - 19 grand slam titles, a record number of days spent as world No 1 and not quite so many detained at an immigration hotel in Melbourne - through the prism of that day.

Long before Djokovic stubbornly forged one of the great sporting careers of the modern era, he had already become entrenched in a mindset that deflected outside influences. As a child raised as an orthodox Christian in war-torn Serbia, he was taught to be self-sufficient. As a prolific junior, he was a relative outsider whose parents uprooted from a ski resort in the mountains to risk all for Djokovic’s own unlikely journey to the pinnacle. That sense of resistance and ingrained suffering, which is often interpreted as being disagreeable or aloof, has always been fundamental to Djokovic’s character. It has also acted as a defence mechanism, shielding him against the public’s favouritism for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the feeling that he was always an unwanted intruder on their legacies.

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Vasek Pospisil has shed light on Novak Djokovic's thinking heading into the Australian Open. After setting up the PTPA with Djokovic and sharing time with him in Belgrade, he believes the Serbian was "ready to stay home" without the vaccine exemption.

The Canadian player said: “Novak would never have gone to Australia if he had not been given an exemption to enter the country by the government (which he did receive; hence Judge Kelly’s initial ruling).

“He would have skipped the Australian Open and been home with his family and no one would be talking about this mess.

“There was a political agenda at play here with the elections coming up which couldn’t be more obvious. This is not his fault. He did not force his way into the country and did not “make his own rules”; he was ready to stay home.”