Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic awaiting word on Australian Open

Novak Djokovic has insisted he will not get the shots against the illness caused by the coronavirus, even if it means missing tennis events

Novak Djokovic is still awaiting word on whether he will be allowed to return to the Australian Open in January after missing the tournament this year because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

“It’s really not in my hands right now,” Djokovic said on Thursday at the Laver Cup. “So I’m hoping I will get some positive news.”

Djokovic is a 21-time Grand Slam singles champion — a total that stands second among men, behind only Rafael Nadal’s 22 and one ahead of Roger Federer's 20 — and he has won a record nine of those trophies at Melbourne Park.

But he was deported from Australia last January after a 10-day legal saga that culminated with his visa being revoked; he originally was granted an exemption to strict vaccination rules by two medical panels and Tennis Australia in order to play in the Australian Open.

Australia has since changed its border rules — since July 6, incoming travelers no longer have to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccinations, or even provide a negative COVID test.

The Australian Border Force said after Djokovic's visa was cancelled that “a person whose visa has been cancelled may be subject to a three-year exclusion period that prevents the grant of a further temporary visa."

However, it added: “The exclusion period will be considered as part of any new visa application and can be waived in certain circumstances, noting each case is assessed on its own merits."