Scott Morrison Alex Hawke Australia city Melbourne stars covid-19 vaccine Scott Morrison Alex Hawke Australia city Melbourne

Novak Djokovic in Australian Open draw but unvaccinated tennis star could still be sent home

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dailyrecord.co.uk

Tennis world No.1 Novak Djokovic was included in the Australian Open official draw on Thursday, although uncertainty remained about whether the government will cancel the top seed's visa for a second time.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is weighing exercising his discretionary power to revoke Djokovic's visa over concern about the star's medical exemption from Australia's COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

The 34-year-old defending champion, who was out practicing at the Rod Laver Arena earlier on Thursday, drew unseeded fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic for his opening round match, expected to be played on Monday or Tuesday.

Organiser Tennis Australia had delayed the official draw for more than an hour, without saying why. The controversy has assumed an importance that goes beyond tennis: it has intensified a global debate over the rights of the unvaccinated and become a tricky political issue for Prime Minister Scott Morrison as he campaigns for re-election.Australia is due to hold an election by May, and while Morrison's government has won support at home for its tough stance on border security before and during the pandemic, it has not escaped criticism over the botched handling of Djokovic's visa.Morrison declined to comment on Djokovic's visa on Thursday.Djokovic, a vaccine sceptic, fuelled widespread anger in Australia last week when he announced he was heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open with a medical exemption from requirements for visitors to be inoculated against COVID-19.On his arrival, Australian Border Force officials decided his exemption was invalid and he was held alongside asylum-seekers at an immigration detention hotel for several days.

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