Australia investigates Djokovic information on travel form

Novak Djokovic started this Tuesday (11) his preparations in Melbourne to compete in the Australian Open starting next week, but he is still not free from the threat of deportation from the country.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s office said he was still considering whether to use his discretion to cancel the tennis player’s visa, after the court overturned the Australian government’s earlier decision to that effect.

“In accordance with due process, Minister Hawke will fully consider the matter,” said a spokesman, who declined to comment further for legal reasons.

On Monday (10), Federal Judge Anthony Kelly decided to release Djokovic after finding that he received unfair treatment from immigration agents upon his arrival in the country, last Thursday (6). The athlete would not have been given enough time to contact lawyers and tennis authorities and discuss his situation.

He, who is not vaccinated against Covid-19, received a vaccine exemption granted by the tournament organizers and the Victorian state government, based on a positive test for the coronavirus carried out on December 16 in Serbia. This authorization, however, is contested by the federal government.

Local media outlets reported on Tuesday that the Australian Border Force was investigating possible discrepancies between the traveler form submitted by Djokovic and his whereabouts in the days prior to his arrival in the country.

In the document, the tennis player marked “no” when asked about having traveled in the previous 14 days. But social media posts show he was in Belgrade on Christmas Day and then training in Marbella, Spain on December 31 and January 2.

The athlete told authorities that Tennis Australia, the country’s federation, had completed the travel declaration on his behalf. According to The Age newspaper, giving false or misleading information at immigration is a serious offense punishable by 12 months in prison.

The Australian Border Force did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Djokovic’s lawyers declined to comment.

Awaiting a final decision on his participation in the tournament, the Serbian is trying to make up for lost preparation time after being detained for practically five days in an immigration hotel.

This Tuesday, he was filmed and photographed practicing at Rod Laver Arena, in an activity that had a special security scheme. The athlete was also confirmed as the main seed for the event, which will have the draw of his keys on Thursday (13).

The Australian Open starts next Monday (17). Djokovic, who has won the tournament nine times, has a chance to break the men’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles he currently shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard will be present in Melbourne, while the Swiss is still recovering from surgery.