Lawyers say Djokovic had virus recently

Novak Djokovic’s lawyers filed court papers Saturday in his challenge against deportation from Australia that show the tennis star tested positive for the coronavirus last month and recovered, grounds he used in applying for a medical exemption to the country’s vaccination rules.

The No. 1-ranked Djokovic was denied entry at the Melbourne airport late Wednesday after border officials canceled his visa for failing to meet its entry requirement that all non-citizens be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Djokovic was given a medical exemption backed by the Victoria state government and Australian Open organizers on Jan. 1, based on information supplied to two independent medical panels, and his visa was approved.

But the Victoria state medical exemption, allowed for people who tested positive for the coronavirus within the last six months, was deemed invalid by federal border authorities.

Djokovic has been confined to an immigration detention hotel in Melbourne, where he’s been preparing for the legal challenge against his visa cancellation in the Federal Circuit Court on Monday.

The Australian Open starts Jan. 17. Djokovic is the defending champion and has won the Australian Open men’s singles title nine times. Defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from her semifinal match at a WTA tournament with an abdominal injury, allowing opponent Veronika Kudermetova to advance to the final on a walkover.

Kudermetova will face second-seeded Simona Halep, who beat Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in the other semifinal in the Summer Set 1 event.