Friday, March 29

Novak Djokovic included in Australian Open draw as visa decision comes down to end


Novak Djokovic has been included in the draw for next week’s Australian Open tennis tournament, but his participation is still in doubt with a government decision on whether the unvaccinated tennis star can remain in the country.

The fate of the world’s number one male is still at stake. The immigration minister has been weighing whether to revoke his visa again, days after a court ruled that the original decision did not follow due process.

The draw for the first Grand Slam tournament of the year was delayed by more than an hour on Thursday, and organizers admitted it was being delayed. When it was done, top seed Djokovic was drawn to play fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.

Tournament director and CEO of the governing body Tennis Australia, Craig Tiley, declined to answer questions from reporters.

Around the same time, Australia’s prime minister was saying at a press conference that there was still no decision on Djokovic’s visa.

Scott Morrison described the current pandemic situation in the country, where infections have been on the rise in recent weeks as the Omicron variant spreads, putting pressure on hospitals. Tournament attendance has been restricted to 50% of its capacity.

On Wednesday, Djokovic apologized for mistakes made on his visa application form and for failing to isolate himself after a positive COVID test in December.

Controversy over the player’s vaccination status and his treatment by Australian authorities has completely overshadowed the tournament in the days leading up to the event, as the world looks on in disbelief.

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The 34-year-old Serbian landed in Melbourne on January 5, more than a week ago, equipped with a vaccination waiver after testing positive for COVID last month. After being interviewed by border officials, he was sent to a detention hotel over the past weekend.

Since the January 10 court decision ordering his immediate release, Djokovic has been able to resume training before the tournament.

However, he is still facing the possibility of deportation because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, a decision entirely at the discretion of Australia’s immigration minister if it is deemed in the public interest. Earlier this week, Alex Hawke made it clear that he was considering canceling the player’s visa again.

Information Djokovic has since released is believed to influence the decision. There has been speculation that mistakes on your immigration form could potentially tip the balance against you.

On the form, Djokovic said that he had not traveled in the 14 days prior to his flight to Australia. However, the Monte Carlo athlete was seen in Spain and Serbia in that two-week period.

On Wednesday, the player said that it was introduced on his behalf by his support team and that “my agent sincerely apologizes for the clerical error in checking the wrong box,” describing it as “human error and certainly not deliberate.”

Djokovic also admitted to making a “mistake in judgment” following his positive COVID-19 test in mid-December and should have isolated himself immediately. The player had been seen participating in events in Serbia and gave an in-person interview with the French. L’Equipe publication.

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He is seeking a 10th Australian Open title and a record 21st Grand Slam victory, just like world number six Rafael Nadal. The 35-year-old Spaniard could face Djokovic in the semi-final, if the Serb can play.


www.euronews.com

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