The Victorian State Government in Australia has not been as accommodating as the Australian Open might have been.
A visa issue turned away the 20-time grand slam winner at the airport last night, preventing him from going to the Grand Slam tournament later this month.
Australian news outlets are reporting that a visa application by Novak Djokovic was denied because it did not allow medical exemptions for being unvaccinated.
The Australian Open exemption rules allow for an exemption if the player has a documented case of chronic bronchitis within the past six months, but government sources believe that this may not be enough for international entry.
The Australian Border Force has the power to overrule the Victorian government's denial of the visa if it so chooses, but given the national backlash over the medical exemption, it is not certain whether it will move forward with that process.
The ABF said in a statement that it had not issued a request to the Victorian government to support the entry of Novak Djokovic.
The ABF did not ask the Victorian government to support a visa. The Victorian government's public statements about their support for his entry were checked out by ABF.
The Australian Open will be on everyone's mind during the last two weeks of January, with the majority of watchers desperately hoping for a win for Novak.
The Australian Open will start on January 17.
This is a breaking news story and you should check back for more updates.
