We have an early contender for schadenfreude-inducing event of the year, folks. World number one tennis player and noted antivaxxer Novak Djokovic has had his visa cancelled and been so-far denied entry into the country, prompting a tide of merry-making and memes.
The skinny is: the Australian Border Force wasn’t happy with the paperwork he had to enter the country unvaccinated, so they locked him in a room by himself while they decided to cancel his visa or not.
Spoilers: they cancelled it.
It’s important to note that our border policing regime is pretty fucked and the government wields its powers in a fucked manner.
But in this case an incredibly privileged man who by all accounts regularly engages in fucked behaviour is facing consequences for his actions (read: not getting vaccinated and white anting public health measures), so you’d be forgiven if you gave yourself leeway to enjoy his misfortune, at least just a little.
Now that we’ve got the housekeeping out of the way, let’s enjoy the memes.
This one captured the mood on Twitter this morning:
Not now honey mommy has to know if novak djokovic is getting deported or not pic.twitter.com/mB667mnSdT
— Di ???? (@evildaya) January 5, 2022
We got a few overseas memers chiming in, including an entire Irish airline:
Unlucky @DjokerNole Flight home? pic.twitter.com/D8mpNq4jEB
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) January 5, 2022
Liza Minnelli has outlived Novak Djokovic’s time in Australia. The tennis champ was told to leave when he failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements and his visa was subsequently cancelled.
— LizaMinnelliOutlives (@LiZaOutlives) January 5, 2022
Un poco de humor en medio de todo el caso #Djokovic, #Australia, #COVID19, permiso médico, #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/IpWduwGlVu
— Sebastián Torok (@sebatorok) January 5, 2022
Photoshopping tennis rivals as ABF staff was a popular bit:
FUCK pic.twitter.com/nmq6sNEKXm
— Simba Ω ????️???????????? (@abmis0) January 5, 2022
Of course, the whole saga brought up memories of Johnny Depp‘s dogs Pistol and Boo and the “I stopped the boats” trophy Scott Morrison gave himself.
Novak Djokovic has been found in violation of Australia’s strict bio security laws and has been euthanised
— dan nolan (@dannolan) January 5, 2022
a little tennis player trophy on greg hunt’s desk inscribed with “i stopped these”
— Tiger Webb (@tfswebb) January 5, 2022
Because we couldn’t see what was going on in the Melbourne Airport, imaginations ran wild:
Attention international community: we have imprisoned Djokovic in that featureless plastic prison cell from X-Men, which contains no objects that might be used as an improved racquet
— james hennessy (@jrhennessy) January 5, 2022
novak djokovic is getting deported because he wants to play tennis by holding the racket in his mouth like a dog and they will not allow it. sad!
— ruby innes (@rubyinnes) January 5, 2022
If I was Novak Djokovic, I would simply have taken two doses of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations, then quietly collected my millions of dollars for playing tennis
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) January 5, 2022
A few general bangers:
???? pic.twitter.com/tnWPwT43en
— Simba Ω ????️???????????? (@abmis0) January 5, 2022
novak’s no vax visa revoked by the seashore
— casey briggs (@CaseyBriggs) January 5, 2022
the Djokovic thing was guerrilla marketing for Border Security, airing weeknights on Channel 7.
— Lav Baj (@lavosaurus) January 5, 2022
Some riffed on the burgeoning Australia-Serbia tensions.
— Jane (@ReDeDeDooo) January 5, 2022
And then there was this, which isn’t really a meme but is funny in a different way.
Djokovic fans outside of Melb Airport. @theheraldsun pic.twitter.com/bZDuTtnrs4
— sarahperillo (@sarahperillo6) January 5, 2022
Now all that’s left is to see if Djokovic manages to launch a legal challenge before he’s kicked out, and if it’s successful.
There’s also probably time for old mate to head back to Serbia, re-do his visa and try his luck again, which sounds like a strong contender for longest round-trip to pick up something you forgot at home.
