Rafael Nadal's fans cheekily thank Australian immigration minister behind Novak Djokovic's visa cancellation

Rafael Nadal fans have cheekily thanked Australia's immigration minister Alex Hawke, who was key to Novak Djokovic missing the 2022 Australian Open. They wore t-shirts during the ongoing Italian Open to thank the minister.

The messages on the T-shirt read: Gracias King (thank you King) and Melbourne '22, in an attempt to thank Alex Hawke for 'helping' Nadal win the tournament in Djokovic's absence.

Novak Djokovic was at the center of the COVID-19 storm ahead of the Australian Open on account of his unvaccinated status. He was denied participation in the tournament and his visa was revoked. He challenged it in the court and won the case but Alex Hawke exercised his special powers to cancel the visa for a second time.

He was even forced to miss the first Grand Slam of the year and a few tournaments that followed.

The Serb is now back in action but memories of the drama that unfolded in Melbourne following the revocation of Djokovic's visa came alive in Rome. This was courtesy of t-shirts that carried a photograph of Hawke during the Italian Open. Interestingly, the ones sporting the T-shirts were not fans of Novak Djokovic but of his arch rival, Rafael Nadal.

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Nine-time champion Novak Djokovic was denied shot at Australian Open as Rafael Nadal broke the record for most Grand Slams

Nadal beat Daniil Medvedev to win his 21st Grand Slam title

Coming into the Australian Open, the 'Big Three' were all tied for the total number of Grand Slam tournaments won. Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal had all captured 20 Grand Slams before the start of the Melbourne event.

Federer had to withdraw due to a knee problem, but Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were expected to be part of the Australian Open.

However, in an unprecedented move that caught the tennis world by storm, the nine-time Australian Open champion had his visa revoked. This was because he had refused to get vaccinated and was not permitted to play in Melbourne.

The visa cancelation was eventually reversed, but Djokovic's joy was short-lived with Hawke canceling the visa for a second time.

The decision, which was reviewed, could not be overturned much to the disappointment of the Serb. He then issued a statement expressing his angst, saying:

"I am extremely disappointed with the Court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the Minister's decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open. I respect the court’s ruling and I’ll cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country."

He added:

“I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament."

The 34-year-old won three successive Australian Open trophies in 2019, 2020, and 2021. However, he was unable to defend his title as his arch rival Rafael Nadal won a third Australian Open crown.

As a result of the win in Melbourne, the Spaniard veered ahead of Federer and Djokovic after bagging a record 21st Grand Slam title.