If the Serbian tennis star is allowed to stay in the country and compete in the Australian Open, Australia’s prime minister will be acknowledging that his country’s public health policies from the start have been nonsensical in their lack of nuance.
Professional tennis player and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic today was released from detention after winning his court battle to remain in Australia despite being unvaccinated for COVID-19.
However, in court today, government lawyers warned that Australia’s immigration minister could still cancel Djokovic’s visa, which would lead to an automatic three-year ban on his entering the country, The New York Times reported.
Djokovic’s release today is the latest twist in the ongoing standoff between the tennis star and Australian authorities over his eligibility to enter their country.
Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open champion (a record), arrived in Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport on Jan. 5 to defend his title. The upcoming Australian Open tennis championship is set to begin Jan. 17.
The BBC reported Djokovic was promptly assessed and rejected for entry upon arrival. His visa was canceled on the spot and he was taken into temporary immigration detention on grounds that he had failed to provide evidence he was double vaccinated or had a legitimate exemption to the policy.
