Although Australia has already lifted restrictions against people entering the country without vaccination against covid, this may not be a win for the Serbian tennis player.
Last year, Djokovic traveled to Melbourne with a medical exemption from vaccinations, but immigration officials did not recognize him, canceled his visa and, after court battles, eventually deported him from the country. And deportation also means an automatic three-year ban on entering the country.
It can be overturned, but former Home Secretary Karen Andrews, a key figure in the introduction of anti-covid measures, is urging the new government not to review Djokovic’s three-year sentence.
“It would be a slap in the face to people who have behaved properly in Australia. If suddenly Novak Djokovic was allowed to return to the country just because he is a top tennis player with many millions of dollars in his account,” Andrews told ABC.
The head of the Australian Tennis Association (Tennis Australia) Craig Tilley said last week that Djokovic was excited about the Australian Open in January and reminded that lifting the ban for him was entirely in the hands of the new federal government.
“I know (Djokovic) wants to come back to the Australian Open. He is a nine-time champion of the tournament and of course we always want the best players in the world. The matter must now be resolved between him and the federal authorities,” Tilley said.
But Andrews, no longer in power, stands her ground. “If a special announcement is made now just because of Djokovic, an understandable question will arise as to what will be done with similar cases that occurred under similar circumstances,” the ex-minister further emphasized in an interview with ABC.
“I don’t think there are any compelling reasons to reconsider the decision just because it involves someone with a lot of money. The government would then have to deal with all the others whose visas were cancelled. One decision should definitely not be made for Djokovic and another for the others,” added the former minister.
Czech doubles player Renata Voráčová’s visa was canceled before the start of the Autralian Open, among others.
