Does he play or does he go? The decision whether tennis star Novak Djokovic will be allowed to participate in the Australian Open will probably not be made this Thursday. His potential opponent, however, has already been determined.
The eagerly awaited decision by the Australian government to withdraw Novak Djokovic’s residence permit is apparently further delayed. According to information from The Age newspaper, it will not fall this Thursday. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke will not decide until midnight whether the Serbian visa will be canceled or not, the newspaper reported, citing government sources. A quick decision had previously been expected for Thursday.
Djokovic would meet fellow countryman
The 20-time Grand Slam winner threatens to continue to miss the Australian Open (from January 17th) after violating the isolation regulations in his home country Serbia and incorrectly specifying the entry documents. Prime Minister Scott Morrison kept a low profile at a press conference.
Previously, the tournament officials had postponed the draw for the first major of the year by more than an hour without giving a reason. Djokovic Compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic was pulled outt for the start of his title defense. In addition, it became known that due to the tense pandemic situation, the audience capacity will be limited to 50 percent of the possible occupancy.
“These changes to the rules for the Australian Open mean fans, players and staff can look forward to a great, safe event,” said Victoria State Minister of Tourism, Jaala Pulford, in a statement.
Whether Djokovic will be there is still unclear after a day-long legal tug-of-war with a partial victory of the world number one in court. On Wednesday, Djokovic admitted that he took part in an interview in Serbia in December despite knowing that the corona test was positive. In addition, there is an “unintentional” false declaration on his entry form regarding his travel activities before the flight to Melbourne.
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