NOVAK DJOKOVIC will be eligible to play in the Australian Open next year, it’s been claimed.
The nine-time champion was banned from entering the country for three years last January, having his visa revoked on the eve of the tournament.
Novak Djokovic will be able to play in the Australian Open next yearRex
EPAThe Serbian was banned and deported from Australia last January in part as he’s viewed by some as a “talisman of a community of anti-vaccine sentiment”[/caption]
AFPBut the new Aussie government has reportedly overturned the world No8’s ban[/caption]
But Aussie immigration chiefs have reportedly opted to overturn the ban given to the Serbian.
That’s according to The Guardian, who claim the country’s new immigration bigwig, Andrew Giles, will give Djokovic a visa.
Giles is said to be overturning the banning issued to Djokovic by the previous regime.
Djokovic, 35, had his visa revoked in January 2022 after a Covid diagnosis – which the Australian government insisted didn’t make him exempt from their strict vaccination entry requirements.
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Djokovic ultimately challenged the decision in the federal circuit court.
But in a bid to avoid “civil unrest”, then immigration minister Alex Hawke opted to cancel the superstar’s visa.
Hawke made the controversial decision as Djokovic is “perceived by some as a talisman of a community of anti-vaccine sentiment.”
Djokovic’s ended up losing his second court case and was DEPORTED from the country just days before his beloved Grand Slam tournament got underway.
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Australia has since softened their entry requirements, with visitors no longer required to be vaccinated.
The overturning of Djokovic’s ban would suggest new immigration chief Giles believes the Serb’s presence next January will be beneficial to the country.
Djokovic was quizzed about his eligibility to enter Australia after winning his ATP Finals match in Turin on Monday.
But the world No8 claimed to have been in the dark over the matter, saying: “We are waiting.
“They are communicating with the government of Australia. That’s all I can tell you for now.”