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Indian doubles specialist Purav Raja didn't want to criticize Novak Djokovic but he said that the whole Djokovic visa mess is "embarassing on tennis." On Friday, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercised his powers to cancel the visa of Djokovic.
"I don't know my take on it. I am not the Australian government, so I don't know my take on it. But I know it, for sure, that it's embarrassing on tennis," Raja told Sportskeeda. Djokovic flew to Australia after being granted a medical exemption but was placed in detention after having his visa revoked by the Australian Border Force.
"I don't know what the visa situation was. I don't know how he was allowed in the country," Raja added.
Raja comments further on the Djokovic visa situation
"All I can say is that the visa is subject to immigration. Every visa granted to to you, for every government, is subject to immigration.
And the immigration obviously has a problem," Raja explained. "So, in theory, the Australian government and the immigration have a problem with the tennis association. And that leaves us in a bit of a soup." During his interview with Sportskeeda, Raja was also asked whether he thinks this year's Australian Open will mark a generational change.
Roger Federer, Serena and Venus Williams are out of the Australian Open. "I don't see one particular slam being the change. I don't see this Australian Open being the change. The change will gradually come, like it came for everything else, like we saw everyone retire slowly.
So within the next three or four-five years, we will see a
change, " Raja explained. "But tennis is always bigger. Wimbledon's always bigger than the player, Australian Open's always bigger than the player. We are just players, we come and go. The tennis stays on, and the tournaments live on - and we play for those tournaments."