Daily Times

MELBOURNE : At least three other participants in the Australian Open with the same medical exemption as Novak Djokovic are already in the country with more potentially arriving over the next week, a source told Reuters on Friday. Djokovic was spending the Orthodox Christmas in detention on Friday having had his visa cancelled on arrival in Australia when officials ruled his documentation was insufficient to allow him entry to the country while unvaccinated. The political fallout, both domestically and abroad, intensified overnight as Djokovic’s legal team prepared documents aimed at extending his stay after a Federal court hearing in Melbourne on Monday. The 20-times Grand Slam winner might not be the only person hoping to take part in the Australian Open to face removal from the country, however. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has confirmed the Australian Border Force is assessing the credentials of two others who entered the country under the same exemption granted to Djokovic. A source familiar with the matter said that a third participant in the Grand Slam also entered Australia on the same framework, which had been put in place by Tennis Australia and the Victoria State government. Exemptions may also have been granted to players or officials who are yet to arrive in Australia, the source added. While the tournament proper begins on Jan. 17, ITF Junior events and wheelchair tournaments are set to begin next week, so too the qualifying events for the Australian Open. TA has not commented on the matter since Djokovic was initially detained at Melbourne Airport shortly after 11 p.m. on Wednesday. Tournament director Craig Tiley, who is also the TA chief executive, defended the medical exemption granted to Djokovic prior to his detention. Srdjan Djokovic, the detained player’s father, has claimed more than 20 exemptions were handed out to tennis participants prior to the Australian Border Force’s intervention.