Novak Djokovic visa ban overturned ahead of Australian Open

The way has been cleared for Novak Djokovic to play successful the Australian Open, aft the Australian authorities overturned a visa ban.

The Serbian tennis prima was detained successful January implicit his refusal to beryllium vaccinated against Covid.

He was deported from the state 10 days later, contempt mounting a palmy ineligible challenge.

At times dubbed "Fortress Australia", the state had immoderate of the strictest pandemic restrictions successful the world.

When Djokovic arrived successful Australia successful January, Covid cases were skyrocketing and authorities rules required anyone entering the state beryllium vaccinated, unless they had a valid medicine exemption.

He did not conscionable the requirements for entry, the authorities said, truthful his visa was cancelled and helium was automatically banned from entering the state for 3 years.

But Immigration Minister Andrew Giles - whose authorities came to powerfulness successful May - has overturned the prohibition and is acceptable to assistance Mr Djokovic a visa, the BBC has confirmed.

Speaking speaking earlier Tuesday, Tennis Australia brag Craig Tiley said helium was assured that Djokovic would play successful adjacent year's Open.

"I cognize Novak wants to travel and play and to get backmost to competing," helium told the Australian Associated Press.

"He loves Australia and it's wherever he's had the champion success."

The tennis champion earlier this twelvemonth told the BBC helium flew into Australia believing helium had obtained the aesculapian exemptions required.

But helium was detained and questioned by borderline officials successful Melbourne connected 5 January, and his visa was cancelled successful the aboriginal hours of the pursuing morning.

Djokovic was taken to a notorious migration detention hotel, wherever helium remained arsenic helium challenged the determination successful court.

The tribunal aboriginal overturned the determination to cancel his visa, but then-Immigration Minister Alex Hawke utilized peculiar discretionary powers to cancel it again, arguing it was "in the nationalist interest" to bash so.

In tribunal documents, Mr Hawke said Djokovic was "perceived by immoderate arsenic a talisman of a assemblage of anti-vaccine sentiment" and his presences successful the could pb to "civil unrest".

Many successful Australia cheered the determination but it besides sparked an uproar among supporters who gathered extracurricular his hotel, arsenic good arsenic successful Serbia.