The travel restriction that has been placed on Novak Djokovic is expected to be lifted in January of the following year, and it is anticipated that he will compete in both the Australian Open and the Grand Slam tournaments at Melbourne Park.
Due to a protracted legal battle about his visa and the fact that he had not been vaccinated, the Serbian was unable to successfully defend his title in Australia during the first few months of 2021.
Because he was free from needing a visa to enter Australia, Djokovic went there to compete in the first Grand Slam tournament of the new tennis season.
In spite of this, when he arrived at the airport, he was held, and his visa was cancelled because he was unable to present “sufficient evidence” for admittance; nevertheless, he won an appeal, and a court overturned the decision.
Following a second denial of a visa, this time on the grounds that there were concerns that the Serbian might use anti-vaccination sentiment, the country’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke intervened.
After the initial verdict, Djokovic lodged an appeal, but it was dismissed, and he was ultimately deported as a result of the ruling.
According to the Herald-Sun, his expulsion from Australia resulted in a prohibition on entering the country for a period of three years; however, he will be allowed to compete in the Australian Open again in January.
The Davis Cup group matches that were supposed to take place in Valencia the next week were where he was supposed to make his return, but he withdrew from Serbia’s squad citing “personal issues.”