Novak Djokovic Australian Open: Tennis champion gets visa to play after Covid vaccine deportation

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic will be allowed to play next year’s Australian Open after a three-year ban on him entering Australia was overturned. 

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles will give Djokovic a visa, which scraps a the entry ban imposed by the former Morrison government when it cancelled the Serbian player’s visa just before the Open in January.

Then immigration minister Alex Hawke ruled that despite Djokovic having a recent Covid diagnosis it did not justify an exemption to the Australia’s border requirement for visitors to be vaccinated.

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic is set to play in next year’s Australian Open after the immigration minister decided to overturn a three-year ban on him entering the country

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Despite a court ruling that the visa Djokovic entered Australia on was valid Mr Hawke used his ministerial powers to rule the then No.1, who was well known for his anti-vaccination stance, could stir up similar sentiment in the community.

After a Federal Court upheld Mr Hawke’s power to make that decision Djokovic was forced to leave the country amid heated scenes where his supporters demonstrated on the streets of Melbourne.

Djokovic was denied the chance to win his 10th Australian Open title in succession and claim a 21 grand slam, which would have put him one ahead of arch-rival Rafael Nadal and claim the all-time men’s record.

Djokovic (pictured centre left) leaves Australia after a court upheld the decision by former immigration minister Alex Hawke to deny him a visa in January

Instead Djokovic had to watch Nadal take home the crown and the prize as the first man to break the 21 mark. 

Djokovic has since won Wimbledon but still trails Nadal by one after the Spaniard beat him in the final of the French Open. 

Australia has since overturned its requirement for visitors to be vaccinated. 

Djokovic (here pictured with wife Jelena Djokovic) was denied a chance to win his 10th Australian Open last year 

Djokovic told media on Monday night he had heard “nothing official yet” but was ‘communicating’ with the Australian government. 

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