Djokovic lands in Serbia after deportation from Australia

By DARKO BANDIC and DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Novak Djokovic could be barred from the French Open later this year because he’s not vaccinated against COVID-19. That possibility has raised the stakes for the tennis star just hours after he was deported from Australia and prevented from defending his Australian Open title. A plane carrying the No. 1-ranked player touched down in his native Serbia on Monday. That closes at least the first chapter in a dizzying drama that has resonance in the world of elite sports, Australian pandemic politics and the polarized debate over the coronavirus shots. At the same time, clouds gathered over what would come next: French officials said a new law requiring vaccination to enter sports venues would have no exceptions. Much could change between now and the start of the French Open in late May.