Top players to return for Australian Open. Will Djokovic be included?
Novak Djokovic
The absence of Roger Federer and Serena Williams from the Australian Open in January will mark the beginning of a new era for tennis, but it is looking more and more likely that nine-time winner Novak Djokovic will play on his beloved Melbourne Park hardcourts.
The former world No. 1 Djokovic has a lingering doubt about whether he can visit Australia again after a tennis season in which he won Wimbledon but missed two of the majors, the Australian and US Opens, for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
After the Australian authorities determined that Djokovic might have hampered the country's ability to respond to the pandemic and disrupted civil order, he was deported the day before the Australian Open, as reported by The Age
Craig Tiley, the director of the Australian Open, noted that conditions in Australia nine months ago, when Djokovic was suspended, were remarkably different. He said they were prepared to conduct a competition akin to those held before the outbreak.
Also read |India, Australia, England or Pakistan? Aussie great picks his favourites for T20 World Cup
“We are on track to have all the top players back,” said Tiley, when quizzed at a Melbourne Victory “Victory In Business” luncheon on Wednesday.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Bihar Election 2025 Results | From Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap to Maithili Thakur, Khesari Lal - Who won, who lost
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Global Firepower Index: Top 7 countries ranked by military strength - Is India among the top 5?
)
Indian-origin CEO stopped by FBI, slams rising hostility towards immigrants in US
)
Gen Z protest in Mexico: Protesters storm national palace, demand President Claudia Sheinbaum's resignation - What's happening
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
From House of Cards to Maharani: 6 intense political dramas to watch on Netflix, Prime, Hotstar and other OTT
)
'Other Atlas', the golden comet, breaks apart as it zooms towards Earth
)
Bihar elections: Rs 14,000-crore World Bank fund used by Nitish, BJP to give freebies, claims Prashant Kishor's party
)
Rogue giant eight times bigger than Jupiter crashed the solar party, making some planets wonky
)
Trump rolls back tariffs on groceries fearing US voters’ ire over inflation; Indian exporters cheer
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Global cybersecurity rankings 2025: Countries with strongest online defences
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
From Tokyo to Delhi: The 7 most populated cities on Earth in 2025 — Check the full list
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters fastest to 9000 runs in ODIs
)
SHOCKING! Indian Sikh woman on pilgrimage to Pakistan converted to Islam, married local resident: Police
Djokovic was denied entry to Australia as a result of decisions taken by the former Coalition government and then-Immigration Minister Alex Hawke. Djokovic had won the prior three Australian Opens before Rafael Nadal won the competition in the Serbian's absence.
The next Minister of Immigration is Labor MP Andrew Giles, who also oversees Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.
Djokovic was unable to defend his Australian Open championship in January after the Federal Court upheld the federal government's decision to deport him less than 24 hours before the tournament began. The issue was high-profile and protracted, garnering international headlines.
Due to the risk that he would aggravate anti-vaccination sentiment, the entire court bench unanimously decided that he should be deported.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: