The Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic will be able to compete in the 2023 Australian Open, after the lifting of the ban on entry to the country, motivated by the deportation to which he was subjected in January this year, revealed a government source on Tuesday.
According to that source, quoted by EFE and who asked not to be identified, the Australian Immigration Minister, Andrew Giles, decided that a possible request by Djokovic, eighth in the world ranking, to participate in the first Grand Slam tournament “of 2023.
The 35-year-old Serbian has yet to confirm his interest in participating in the competition, in which he could win his 10th title and extend his record of victories, equaling, at the same time, the Spaniard’s record of 22 Grand Slam tournaments. Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic was deported in January this year, shortly after the start of the hard court tournament, for having entered the country without being vaccinated against Covid-19, having presented a medical exemption, the legality of which was challenged by the Australian authorities.
The visa was canceled as it was felt that Djokovic’s presence could pose a risk to public health and be counterproductive to vaccination efforts by others in Australia, as part of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
After a brief but intense court battle, the full Australian Federal Court held that the presence of the tennis player constituted a risk to health and public order, since it could contribute to fueling the protests of the anti-vaccine movements, and Djokovic was deported.
The Serb also suffered a three-year entry ban, which his lawyers have been trying to counter since then, arguing that Australia has already lifted all restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source: TSF
