The draw for the matches for the Australian Open tennis tournament, which kicks off Monday January 17th in Melbourne, took place on Thursday January 13th. Serbian Novak Djokovic, world number one and title holder, should be opposed in the first round to his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic (78e world player).
If he has trained in recent days on the Rod Laver Arena, the center court of Melbourne Park, Novak Djokovic does not yet know if he will be able to play. Unvaccinated and having accumulated irregularities in the procedure for obtaining his visa, he is awaiting a decision from the Australian immigration minister, who has discretionary power to deport him.
Initially turned back at the border and placed in a detention center, the defending champion was released a few days later by decision of a judge. But the Australian government has not ruled out deporting him.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that no decision has yet been taken on a possible visa cancellation and deportation of the player. The position of Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who said he was considering an annulment under his discretionary powers, ” did not change “, added Mr. Morrison during a press conference devoted to the health situation in the country.
He recalled that the decision was in the hands of the minister, before declining to any other comment. He just clarified that“Having a visa and fulfilling the health conditions to enter the territory are two different things”.
“Error of judgment”
In recent days, embarrassing revelations have weakened the defense of Novak Djokovic. Before embarking for Melbourne, the no 1 worldwide celebrated Christmas in Belgrade then made a detour to Marbella (Spain) to train – as evidenced by images published on social networks -, which he did not specify in the entry form on the Australian territory, released on Tuesday.
In a statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday, the Serb explained that his agent had completed the document by committing a “Human error, certainly not deliberate”.
A survey of the German weekly Der Spiegel published Tuesday also came to cast doubt on the date of the positive PCR test presented by Novak Djokovic, hypothesizing that it would not have taken place on December 16, but on December 26 …
Moreover, if this PCR test had indeed taken place on December 16 and if it had been positive, then the tennis player would not have respected the rules of isolation in Serbia. That day, Novak Djokovic appeared without a mask during the presentation of a stamp bearing his likeness by the Serbian Post. The next day, he presented trophies to young people at his academy in Belgrade, posing among them once again unmasked.
“I was asymptomatic (…) and only received the information of my positive PCR test once this event was over ”, The player justified himself on Wednesday, who admitted a “Error of judgment” by also receiving a journalist and a photographer from the daily The team December 18.
