Novak Djokovic has been denied entry into Australia after initially being granted a medical exemption for the country's COVID-19 vaccination requirements so that the world's No. 1-ranked tennis player could play in the Australian Open.
Djokovic, left stranded at Melbourne's Tullamanrien airport overnight, was issued a letter by the Australian government saying his visa had been denied and he would be deported, a source close to the tournament told Reuters.
Djokovic was filing an injunction Thursday to prevent his deportation, the source told Reuters. He had received the medical exemption to play at the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season, where he is a nine-time winner and the defending champion
The exemption would have allowed Djokovic to play regardless of his vaccination status for COVID-19, something he has not disclosed, but he also needed to meet strict border regulations to enter the country.