The head of the Australian Open has said Novak Djokovic would love to return to the tournament next year but says the matter does not involve him.
Djokovic, who has won the Melbourne major a record nine times, is currently banned from entering Australia for three years after being deported back in January. The tennis star travelled to the region under the belief that a medical exemption from Tennis Australia would have allowed him entry. However, the border force didn’t accept the exemption and said his visa was invalid. Paving the way for two legal hearings which concluded with the High Court backing the government in its decision to deport Djokovic, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19.
Since the deportation, there has been a change in government and it is believed that the latest administration is more open to waiving the tennis star’s ban. This potential move has already been criticized by former Home Affairs minister Karen Andrews who claims that such a decision would be a ‘slap in the face’ for many people.
At an event marking the launch of the 2023 Australian Open, tournament director Craig Tiley has refused to take sides in the argument and instead said the decision is up to the federal government. Tiley has been criticized over what happened to Djokovic in January with some questioning the efficiency of communication from his organization. Djokovic had repeatedly said that he was assured a medical exemption would allow him entry even though he is unvaccinated.
“The matter with Novak is direct between himself and the federal government,” The Australian Associated Press quoted Tiley as saying on Wednesday.
“They need to work out the situation and then we’ll follow any instruction after that.
“It’s not a matter we can lobby on. It’s a matter that definitely stays between the two of them and then depending on the outcome of that we would welcome him to the Australian Open.”
The tennis chief has recently spent time with Djokovic at the Laver Cup in London and said he is eager to return to Melbourne Park.
“He said that he’d love to come back to Australia, but he knows it’s going to be an ultimate decision for the federal government,” Tiley said.
“He’s accepted that position. It’s a private matter between them but we’d like to welcome Novak back – he’s a nine-time champion – provided he gets the right entry requirements into Australia.”
Djokovic is allowed to apply for an exemption from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles but it is not known if he has done this yet.
The debate surrounding Djokovic’s attendance comes as the Australian Open outlines its plan to attract 900,000 fans to the tournament next year. In a statement, organizers said they will ‘ramp up’ attractions during the three-week Grand Slam. Among the new facilities is a Beach Bar, a tennis club where fans can take part in activities, the return of Kids Tennis Day and new ticket passes.
“We want to return to our pre-pandemic plans of cementing the AO as the biggest annual sporting event in the world in January, while also making it as accessible to as many fans as possible,” said Tiley.
It is also confirmed that as it currently stands Russian and Belarussian players will not be banned from playing but they will have to compete as neutral athletes. Something which they have already done on the Tour since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24th.
The Australian Open will begin on January 16th.
