Top-ranked men’s tennis player had visa cancelled after arriving in Melbourne for the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic
While Djokovic has refused to explicitly say whether or not he received any shots to protect against the coronavirus, he would not have needed an exemption to enter Australia if he were fully vaccinated [Matthew
Novak Djokovic came within one victory of sweeping all four of last year’s Grand Slam tennis tournaments and entered 2022 needing one title to set the men’s record of 21 major championships.
He might not get the chance to pursue that mark at the Australian Open when play begins in Melbourne on January 17.
That’s because, even though Djokovic, a 34-year-old from Serbia, was granted a medical exemption to get around a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all players and their support teams at the hard-court tournament, his visa for entry into Australia was revoked in the early hours of Thursday after he was detained at the airport for about eight hours.
Here’s a look at some of the issues surrounding Djokovic’s attempt to play in the Australian Open:
Why was Djokovic granted a medical exemption? Was anyone else given one?
The Victoria State Government, where Melbourne Park is located, mandated full vaccinations for all players, staff and fans at the Australian Open unless there is a genuine medical reason.
Victoria state Deputy Premier James Merlino said medical exemptions would not be “a loophole for privileged tennis players” and would only be possible in “exceptional circumstances if you have an acute medical condition”.
Tennis Australia said Djokovic’s request for an exemption “was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts”.
Neither Tennis Australia nor Djokovic revealed the reason he sought an exemption.
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Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said a total of 26 players or support staff applied for exemptions and a “handful” were granted.