Novak Djokovic may be handed a lifeline to compete at next year’s Australian Open. After the Serbian’s deportation from the country at the start of this year, a rule states persons are unable to apply for a new visa to enter Australia for three years.
However, the reigning Wimbledon champion’s slim hopes of gracing the courts of Melbourne Park in 2023 may be set for a huge boost. The new Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, is expected to take a more sympathetic view of the Djokovic case than his predecessors.
The 59-year-old, who was elected in May 2022, is an avid fan of tennis and plays the sport several times a week. According to Sportsmail, the new leader does not want future tournaments to be overshadowed by the absence of the nine-time champion.
Albanese is in close contact with Tennis Australia and is keen to rescind the three-year bar on entry after the international incident that unfolded six months ago. Tennis Australia have said the matter is out of their hands, but the outcome is expected to be that Djokovic plays and he will be searching for a tenth title at the Australian Open.
Should Djokovic be given the green light to play Down Under in 2023, it will be the next time he plays in a major, with the tennis legend unable to enter the United States due to being unvaccinated. US immigration recently dropped the requirement for all incoming passengers to return a negative Covid test before boarding a plane, but maintained the need for proof of full vaccination to be presented on arrival.
“There are no plans to relax American immigration rules that require incoming travellers to have undergone vaccination for Covid," the Telegraph reported. Ahead of Wimbledon Djokovic maintained a strict stance against getting the Covid vaccine. "I'm not vaccinated and I'm not planning to get vaccinated so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter United States or exemption," he said.
"I'll wait hopefully for some good news from USA because I would really love to go there. If that doesn't happen, then I have to see what the schedule will look like." This prompted John McEnroe, a four-time winner of the American grand slam, to plead with those in power to reverse the decision.
"These politicians are getting in the way too much" McEnroe said following the Wimbledon final, which Djokovic won against Nick Kyrgios. "They did it in Australia. Let’s let the guy come in and play in the U.S. I mean come on. This is ridiculous. But I don’t make those decisions. I hope someone makes the right one and allows him to play. That’s my personal opinion.
"You can agree to be tested. I don’t know. There’s gotta be a way around this, but we’ll wait and see. That’s not what it’s about right now."
