'Dragged around like a rag' or 'Their country, their rules'? Serbians split on Djokovic

Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic practices at Melbourne Park as questions remain over the legal battle regarding his visa to play in the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, January 12, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic is a national hero at home in Serbia, but after Australia on Friday cancelled his visa for a second time on public health grounds, some Belgraders suggested that the unvaccinated tennis star had only himself to blame.

The world men's number one player is opposed to compulsory vaccination but had secured a medical exemption from Australia's requirement that all visitors must be vaccinated against COVID-19, only to find it revoked when he arrived.