Djokovic enters Australian Open draw, awaits visa decision

World number 1 in men’s tennis Novak Djokovic was included in the official Australian Open draw on Thursday, although uncertainty still looms over his participation until the government decides whether to cancel the seed’s visa for the second time.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke threatens to exercise his discretion to revoke Djokovic’s visa out of concern about his medical exemption from Australia’s current Covid-19 vaccination requirements.

The 34-year-old reigning champion, who trained at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday, was drawn with Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic for the opening match, which is expected to be played on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

The Australian Open organizers postponed the official draw for over an hour, without saying why.

The Djokovic controversy has intensified the global debate over the rights of the unvaccinated and has become a thorny political issue for Prime Minister Scott Morrison in his re-election campaign.

Australia is due to hold elections in May, and while Morrison’s government has garnered support at home for its tough stance on border security before and during the pandemic, it hasn’t escaped criticism over Djokovic’s mishandling of the visa.

Djokovic, a vaccine skeptic, fueled widespread anger in Australia when he announced he was going to Melbourne with a medical exemption from the obligation for visitors to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Upon arrival, the Australian Border Force ruled that his exemption was invalid and he was held alongside asylum seekers in an immigration detention hotel for several days.

On Monday, a court allowed him to stay in the country on the grounds that authorities were “irrational” in his cross-examination interview in a seven-hour process in the middle of the night.

The government must now decide whether to let Djokovic stay and compete for a possible record of 21 Grand Slam victories.

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