The Australian Government has left the door open for Novak Djokovic with an admission the tennis star could receive special consideration.
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has admitted he will consider rescinding a three-year-ban handed to Novak Djokovic.
The World No. 1 tennis star was deported last month after losing his last-ditch effort to stay in Australia when Hawke stepped in personally to cancel the Serbian’s visa.
The 20-time grand slam champion claimed he had an exemption to enter Australia due to having tested positive to Covid-19 in December, but he was denied entry.
What followed was an 11-day circus which included the first Federal Court matter in which the original cancellation of the tennis star’s visa was quashed.
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Djokovic finally broke his silence in a BBC interview this week, claiming that if his involvement in future tournaments was contingent on being vaccinated, then “that is the price I’m willing to pay”.
Hawke has now spoken publicly following the nine-time Australian Open champion’s incredible interview and admitted the door is open to Djokovic returning to play at the Australian Open in 2023.
He confirmed Djokovic is able to apply for a waiver under “compelling” or “compassionate” circumstances to have his three-year expulsion cancelled.
“The future for Mr Djokovic is his to decide on how he conducts himself and what he does internationally,” Hawke said, according to The Australian Associated Press.
“The Australian government has no further role in what he chooses to do.”
He said Australia is “very open” to considering future submissions and requests from Djokovic.
“It means that a future decision-maker makes that (call) when receiving an application,” Hawke said.
“It’s an important principle of law that I don’t bind a future decision-maker.
“We have indicated we would consider that, in the same way we would consider any others. We are very open to the consideration.”
Djokovic is yet to directly address his plans for his possible return to the Australian Open in 2023.
“I will respect the court’s ruling and I will co-operate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country,” Djokovic said at the time of his deportation.
“I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can now focus on the game and the tournament I love.”
He said he has not been jabbed against Covid-19 but had been vaccinated as a child and said that if his involvement in future tournaments, including grand slams, was contingent on being vaccinated, then “that is the price I’m willing to pay”.“I understand and support fully the freedom to choose whether you want to get vaccinated or not,” he said. “I have not spoken about this before and I have not disclosed my medical record and my vaccination status because I had the right to keep that private and discrete. But as I see, there is a lot of wrong conclusions and assumptions out there and I think it’s important to speak up about that and justify certain things.
“I was never against vaccination. I understand globally, everyone is trying to put a big effort into handling this virus and seeing an end soon hopefully to this virus. And vaccination was probably the biggest effort that was made, probably half of the planet was vaccinated. And I fully respect that.
“But I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body. For me, that is essential. It is really the principle of understanding what is right and what is wrong for you, and me as an elite professional athlete, I have always carefully reviewed, assessed everything that comes in, from supplements, food, the water that I drink, sports drinks, anything that comes into my body as fuel. Based on all the information I got, I decided not to take the vaccine as of today.”
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