Novak Djokovic’s Entry Into Australia in Limbo Over Visa Questions
The New York Times
The No. 1 men’s tennis player was denied immediate entry in a dispute about the validity of his visa and questions about the vaccine medical exemption he received to play in the Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic’s arrival in Australia on Wednesday was mired in confusion after an airport dispute about the validity of his visa and questions about the evidence supporting the medical exemption he received to play in this month’s Australian Open.
One day after Djokovic, a 20-time Grand Slam champion and an outspoken critic of vaccine mandates, announced that he had received a medical exemption that would allow him to defend his Australian Open title in Melbourne, he found himself in limbo unable to enter the country. Tournament rules require that participants be vaccinated against the coronavirus or receive a medical exemption.
Tournament officials confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that Djokovic, the world’s No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player, had received a medical exemption after a review of his application by two independent panels, a procedure that strongly suggests he remains unvaccinated. But his entry into the country, several top Australian officials quickly noted, was still a question for the federal government.
