There were mistakes everywhere but Novak Djokovic only has himself to blame for his Australian exit

Novak Djokovic has left the country.

The world number one's bid for a record-setting 10th Australian Open men's singles title and a record 21st grand slam singles title is in tatters at the hands of Immigration Minister Alex Hawke and the Federal Court of Australia.

His deportation on Sunday night came on the back of a battle with a government that has been responsible for some of the world's most stringent border restrictions during the pandemic.

For when all is said and done, it is the Serb's desire to march to the beat of his own drum that has cost him yet another shot at the history he so craves.

With the world's number one tennis player unable to defend his Australian Open crown after losing a legal challenge, social media is split over the Serbian's treatment.

Djokovic, great as he is on the tennis court, has often clashed with science in his views on health and conventional medicine.

As the saga about his visa has played out, it was revealed that Djokovic did not heed many lessons he should have learned from the first time he contracted COVID.

That came after hosting the ill-fated Adria events during the first wave of the pandemic in June 2020.

As Europeans were dying by the thousands, particularly in Spain and Italy, Djokovic and fellow tennis pros Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric, among others, partied shirtless after the event. They contracted COVID.

Djokovic's response in the aftermath was that his "intention was pure".

At best it was an error of judgement, at worst it showed a lack of understanding about the seriousness of the pandemic for his fellow humans.

He has spoken about being sceptical of vaccines, frequently thumbed his nose at restrictions and made bizarre statements on health, including a video where Djokovic