Will Novak Djokovic play in the Australian Open?
According to a report in the AP news agency today (Thursday), the tennis player will be able to enter the country if he applies for a temporary entry visa, despite his publicized deportation last January.
As you may recall, the 21-time Grand Slam singles champion was not allowed to defend his Australian Open title this year after a tumultuous 10-day legal saga over his coronavirus vaccination status, which culminated in the cancellation of his visa on the eve of the tournament.
This means he could face a period of exclusion of up to three years, but Australian border officials said this could be waived in certain circumstances - and that each case was reviewed on its own merits.
And Djokovic has a reason.
He arrived at Melbourne airport as the world's top-ranked tennis player with a visa he obtained online and what he believed to be a valid medical exemption to the country's strict rules for unvaccinated travelers because he had been approved by Tennis Australia and the government of the state of Victoria, which is hosting the tournament.
Then-immigration minister Alex Hawke eventually used discretionary powers to cancel the tennis player's visa on character grounds, declaring him to be a "talisman of the anti-vaccination community".
Immigration lawyer Kun-Ming Chai said he believed it would be in "Australia's best interest" to allow the tennis player to enter the 2023 tournament. "There is no risk factor here in allowing him to come back in," Chai told the news agency in an interview.
"He is not going to create a problem for the community. He is one of the best tennis players in the world and will be able to attract a lot of foreign visitors." Djokovic has yet to officially announce whether he will apply for a visa, while his associates in Belgrade claimed that so far they have no information about his plans.
Djokovic at the Tel Aviv tournament, photo: Oren Aharoni
At the same time, Australia has had a change of government and since July 6, incoming travelers no longer need to provide proof of vaccinations, removing one major entry barrier for Djokovic.
The 35-year-old Serbian star, who recently won tournaments in Kazakhstan and Israel, can now approach the new immigration minister, Andrew Giles, to reconsider his visa status.
To his credit, Djokovic left Australia quickly after his visa was revoked and has not publicly criticized the Australian authorities and will only apply for a temporary visa.
If Djokovic follows this path, the lawyer claims that it is likely that a decision will be made in favor of the tennis player.
"The bottom line is that it is in Australia's best interest to lift the ban and for Djokovic to return."
At the launch of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park yesterday, Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tilley said he would be happy to welcome Djokovic back but could not give him any official support. .
It's a matter that definitely remains between the tennis player and the authorities."
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