Is Djokovic facing a 3-year ban from Australia?

Novak Djokovic may have played his final match at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena amid a potential visa nightmare which could banish the Australian Open's most successful star of the modern era from Australia for the next three years. Read Full Article at RT.com

Jan 17, 2022 - 09:55

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Is Djokovic facing a 3-year ban from Australia?

The tennis icon has been deported because he did not take a Covid vaccine – and his legal woes might not be over yet

Novak Djokovic may have played his final match at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena amid a potential visa nightmare which could banish the Australian Open's most successful star of the modern era from Australia for the next three years.

Will Djokovic be allowed to play at the Australian Open again?

The full ruling from the Federal Court of Australia brings with it another side-effect as part of the country's Migration Act: a three-year period in which the person in question is unable to be granted a visa.

That would mean that Djokovic would effectively be banned from competing at the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024, as well as any other tournaments within Australian borders.

There is, however, some wiggle room for the top player in the world's ambitions of winning what would be a tenth Australian Open crown.

The ban can be waived provided that it can be demonstrated that admitting the the person in question to the country is in Australia's best interests – something which could potentially lead to another immigration stand-off between both parties in a year's time.

Will Djokovic be allowed to compete without a Covid vaccination?

Djokovic's own brief statement after the court declaration indicated his "extreme disappointment" but he said that he would comply fully with its findings.

It does beg the question, though: assuming that there are similar requirements in place for unvaccinated individuals to enter Australia in a year's time, will Djokovic's very participation in the tournament be deemed a compelling enough reason for his entry?

And what does it say about the legitimacy of the Australian Open as a Grand Slam event if the world's best player is essentially permanently barred from it?

One suspects we'll have answers to these questions in time.