‘It was a relief’: Novak Djokovic confirms visa to play in Australian Open
The nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic will be able to play in January’s tournament after he confirmed on Wednesday that he had been granted a visa to travel.
The 35-year-old Serb, the most successful male player in the tournament’s history, missed the 2022 tournament after he was deported over his failure to have a Covid-19 vaccine.
Djokovic, the former world No 1, was originally barred from the country until 2025 but that decision – as revealed exclusively by the Guardian – has been reversed.
“I was very happy to receive the news yesterday,” Djokovic, whose deportation dominated the buildup to the Australian Open this year, said after his victory against Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals in Turin on Wednesday.
“It was a relief obviously knowing what I and people closest to me in my life have been through this year with what happened in Australia and post
Australia obviously.
“I could not receive better news for sure – during this tournament as well. Australian Open has been my most successful grand slam. I made some of the
best memories there. Of course I want to go back there, I want to play tennis, do what I do best, hopefully have a great Australian summer.”
On Thursday the Australian immigration minister, Andrew Giles, confirmed he had “decided to revoke the cancellation”.
In a statement, Giles noted revocation can follow “if the person satisfies the minister that the ground for cancelling the visa no longer exists”. Australia no longer requires visitors to be vaccinated.
“A decision to revoke a visa cancellation does not mean the original decision to cancel was affected by error,” Giles said.
“Mr Djokovic has subsequently been granted a temporary visa to enter Australia.”
The tournament director, Craig Tiley, said this month that Djokovic would be welcome in January if he could get a visa, but that Tennis Australia was unable to lobby on his behalf.
In July, Australia scrapped a rule that required international travellers to declare their Covid vaccination status, and Djokovic said in October that he had received “positive signs” about the status of efforts to overturn his ban.
Earlier on Wednesday Djokovic booked his place in the last four of the ATP Finals – for the 11th time at the end-of-season event – with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of the Russian Andrey Rublev in Turin.
In the evening match Stefanos Tsitsipas knocked out Daniil Medvedev after a three-set marathon. The Greek world No 3 lost an epic second-set tiebreak but eventually triumphed 6-3 6-7 (11) 7-6 (1). Tsitsipas will face off with Rublev for a place in the semi-finals.