INTERNATIONAL: Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic has flown out of Australia on Sunday, 16 January after a court upheld the government's decision to cancel his visa, capping days of drama over the country's COVID-19 entry rules and his unvaccinated status.

The Serbian tennis superstar went to the airport in Melbourne after losing court appeal. Federal agents have escorted him and his team from the business lounge to the gate, where he boarded an Emirates flight bound for Dubai.

The flight took off shortly before 11 p.m. on Sunday.

The unanimous ruling by a three-judge Federal Court bench have dealt a final blow to Djokovic's hopes of chasing a record 21st Grand Slam win at the Australian Open that starts on Monday.

In a rollercoaster ride, the world's top men's player was first detained by immigration authorities on January 6, ordered released by a court on January 10 and then detained on Saturday, January 15 again pending Sunday's court hearing.

Djokovic has said after the ruling he was extremely disappointed as it meant he could not take part in the tournament.

He says in a statement, "I respect the Court's ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country,and wished the tournament well.”

Djokovic, 34, had appealed against Immigration Minister Alex Hawke's use of discretionary powers to cancel his visa. The minister had said Djokovic could be a threat to public order because his presence would encourage anti-vaccination sentiment amidst Australia's worst coronavirus outbreak.

Chief Justice James Allsop has said the court ruling was based on the lawfulness and legality of the minister's decision in the context of the three grounds of appeal Djokovic's legal team has presented.