Melbourne, Australia –
Novak Djokovic will receive no official lobbying support from Tennis Australia should he attempt to enter the country for the first Major of 2023, a year after he was deported for not being vaccinated against COVID-19.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion was not allowed to defend his title at the Australian Open last January after a turbulent 10-day legal saga culminating in the revocation of his visa on the eve of the tournament, which was eventually won by Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic was originally granted an exemption from strict vaccination rules by two medical bodies and Tennis Australia to play at the Australian Open, but after traveling to Melbourne believing he had all his paperwork in order, the exemption was granted Australian Border Force rejected.
“It’s not an issue that we can influence. It’s an issue that will definitely remain between the two,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said Wednesday at the launch of the 2023 event, referring to Djokovic and the Australian government.
“And then, depending on the result,” added Tiley, “we would welcome him to the Australian Open.”
The deportation subjects Djokovic to a possible three-year cut-off period, preventing another temporary visa from being issued, although the Australian Border Force said in January that any cut-off period “is considered part of any new visa application and may be waived in certain circumstances.”
The ABF said each case will be judged on its merits.
Australia has changed its border rules and as of July 6, travelers no longer need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Tiley has been heavily criticized for his role in the confusion which led to the then senior men’s tennis player ending up in Australia believing he was exempt from strict laws on unvaccinated travelers and then being interrogated for hours by border officials at Melbourne Airport, before being held in foreign custody.
The main source of confusion was the exemptions Djokovic and a few others were granted by the state government and Tennis Australia from attending the tournament – despite regulations requiring all fans, officials and players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 – which ultimately still is was required to be assessed by border guards.
Djokovic was allowed to practice court at Melbourne Park after some initial success, but Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke eventually used his discretionary powers to have Djokovic’s visa annulled on character grounds, saying he was a “talisman of a community of anti-vaccine sentiment.”
Djokovic, who recently won tournaments in Israel and Kazakhstan, can apply to new Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to reconsider his visa status.
Tiley, who is also the managing director of Tennis Australia, said he met Djokovic during the Laver Cup in London last month and believes the Serbian star has no bitterness about the saga.
But Tiley stressed that the couple only spoke generally about Djokovic’s visa situation.
“He said that of course he would like to return to Australia, but he knows it will be a final decision for the federal government and he accepts that,” Tiley said. “You can tell that he is expecting to play a lot of tennis at the end of the year and hopes that his application will be successful. But that’s up to him.”
A look back at the episode, which made headlines around the world, has led to Tennis Australia outsourcing visa applications from players and their followers to a company specializing in immigration affairs.
Tiley said the Australian Open had no plans to follow the example of Wimbledon, which banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing this year because of the invasion of Ukraine.
However, there will be no indication of the nationality of these players, including Australian Open 2022 finalist Daniil Medvedev of Russia and two-time women’s singles champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, according to tour rules.
Tiley declined to discuss plans for an overhaul of Australia’s schedule, which is expected to include a new 16-nation mixed-team tournament to be staged across the country ahead of the Australian Open.
Such a competition would have similarities to the long-running Hopman Cup, which was staged in Perth for three decades prior to the introduction of the ATP Cup in 2020.
Tiley, who last week in Western Australia vowed the return of elite tennis to Perth for the first time since the pandemic, said a summer program would soon be outlined.
“We hope our big cities have a major event, a different event, a unique event,” he said. “We will make this announcement when we are ready to make this announcement.