(Melbourne) The draw for the Australian Open, scheduled for Thursday in Melbourne, has been delayed, the Australian Tennis Federation said, while the participation of world number one Novak Djokovic remains on hold.
Updated at 11:59 p.m. yesterday
“We are late,” a spokesperson for the federation told AFP. The draw for the first Grand Slam tournament of the year was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. local (11 p.m. Wednesday, ET).
The participation of the title holder Novak Djokovic is threatened by a possible expulsion from Australia.
The 34-year-old Serb took advantage upon his arrival in Melbourne on January 5 of an exemption from vaccination against COVID-19 due to contamination in December.
The immigration authorities, however, did not accept this explanation, canceled his visa and placed him in administrative detention pending deportation. But a judge ruled in his favor on January 10 and ordered his immediate release. “Djoko” has been able to train since.
Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, however, said on Tuesday that he was considering canceling his visa again using his discretionary powers.
Djokovic admitted on Wednesday that he did not respect the isolation rules in force in Serbia after his contamination, and incorrectly completed his entry form.