Novak Djokovic might still not make it to theAustralian Open after all.- According to Australian media, Djokovic arrived in Melbourne Wednesday night but is stuck in the airport.
Novak Djokovic is seemingly stuck at an Australian airport after arriving in the country to play in the Australian Open, a tournament which he has contentiously been allowed to enter after gaining an exemption from being vaccinated against COVID.
According to Paul Sakkal, a political reporter for Australian newspaper The Age, Djokovic landed in Melbourne late Wednesday night local time, but was not permitted entry to the country after it emerged he had the wrong kind of visa.
The Age reports, citing local sources, that Djokovic has a visa that does not allow for medical exemptions from being vaccinated against COVID-19, meaning he cannot yet enter Australia.
Authorities are trying to solve the problem, The Age added, although it appears that the local government in the state of Victoria has rejected attempts to get it to approve Djokovic's entry to the country.
—Paul Sakkal (@paulsakkal) January 5, 2022
Djokovic's visa issues come just over a day after it was announced that he had been granted a medical exemption from having a COVID-19 vaccine so that he could compete in the Australian Open.
The Serbian's participation in the tournament, which he has won a record nine times, had been the subject of huge speculation due to his refusal to publicly disclose his vaccination status ahead of the competition.
However, on Tuesday he announced that he was en route to Melbourne having been granted an exemption allowing him to play. Though he did not mention vaccination, his inclusion via the exemption effectively confirmed that he is not vaccinated against COVID.
—Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 4, 2022
The Australian Open said in a statement shared with Insider that Djokovic was granted the exemption "following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts," though the exact reasoning was not disclosed. Authorities cited privacy for the non disclosure.
Amid backlash from fellow athletes and the Australian public, the country's Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews previously warned that border authorities could stop the 34-year-old entering the country.
"Any individual seeking to enter Australia must comply with our strict border requirements,' Andrews said in a statement on Wednesday.
"While the Victorian Government and
Exemptions stated on the government's website include, but aren't limited to, those providing "critical or specialist medical services," people travelling for "compassionate reasons," and foreign nationals "whose entry into Australia would be in the national interest."
"If an arriving individual is not vaccinated, they must provide acceptable proof that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons to be able to access the same travel arrangement as fully vaccinated travelers," continued Andrews.
"Australian Border Force will continue to ensure that those who arrive at our border comply with our strict border requirements.
"No individual competing at the Australian Open will be afforded any special treatment."
—Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 4, 2022
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also previously said Djokovic could find himself barred from entering the country if his evidence for a COVID-19 vaccination exemption is not sufficient.
"He has to because if he's not vaccinated, he must provide acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and to be able to access the same travel arrangements, as fully vaccinated travelers," Morrison told a media conference on Wednesday.
"So we await his presentation and what evidence he provides to support that. If that evidence is insufficient, then he won't be treated any different to anyone else and he'll be on the next plane home."
Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on Wednesday demanded a "full and transparent explanation" for the exemption.
"It makes no sense to me, when Australians are making extraordinary sacrifices, to see an elite tennis player allowed to participate in the system," he said.
"And I don't think it'll make any sense to those healthcare workers who are working their guts out each and every day."