Djokovic is being held in isolation in Melbourne awaiting the outcome of an appeal against the decision by the Australian Border Force (ABF) to cancel his entry visa and deport him; Djokovic's appeal will be heard on Monday; Czech player Renata Voracova leaves Australia after detention
Sunday 9 January 2022 08:45, UK
Novak Djokovic's appeal to enter Australia with a medical exemption is based upon a recent positive Covid-19 test, a court filing submitted by his lawyers on Saturday has revealed.
In court documents published on Saturday, it is stated the Serb recorded a positive test on December 16, and has "not had a fever or respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 72 hours".
Djokovic has been detained at an immigration facility in Melbourne since Thursday morning after his visa was cancelled following scrutiny of the medical exemption he had secured to travel to the first tennis major of the year.
According to his legal team, Djokovic was also provided with a letter from the chief medical officer of Tennis Australia recording he had a medical exemption from Covid vaccination.
It is claimed the exemption certificate was "provided by an Independent Expert Medical Review panel commissioned by Tennis Australia", and "the decision of that panel had been reviewed and endorsed by an independent Medical Exemptions Review Panel of the Victorian State Government".
Djokovic's lawyers added he was granted an "Australian Travel Declaration because he was told by the authorities [he met] the requirements for a quarantine-free arrival into Australia".
Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open winner, must wait for a hearing on Monday to discover his fate.
It is also understood a request from Djokovic to be moved from his current hotel to other accommodation with a tennis court has been denied, along with a request for a personal chef.
On Saturday, it emerged two other people who were also connected to the Australian Open have left Australia voluntarily after being told to do so by border officials.
One of the individuals is Czech doubles specialist Renata Voracova, who played in a warm-up tournament in Melbourne this week but has now opted to leave Australia.
Djokovic, 34, is under instruction to stay at Melbourne's Park Hotel, which is used to house asylum seekers and refugees, before Monday's hearing.
He broke his silence on Instagram, saying: "Thank you to people around the world for your continuous support. I can feel it and it is greatly appreciated."
Nick Kyrgios said he is keen to avoid being drawn to face a fired-up Djokovic if the reigning Australian Open champion manages to convince authorities to allow him to play at this year's tournament in Melbourne.
Kyrgios said he expects the upheaval will have little bearing on Djokovic's preparedness for the first major event of the season.
"If he's allowed to play the Australian Open, I don't want any bar of him," the Australian told reporters at Sydney's Olympic Park on Saturday, ahead of next week's Sydney Tennis Classic.
"He's going to be very determined to play well and stick it to everyone of what's going on. And I don't want any bar of that Novak.
"I think he'll have no problem preparing. I think this is just all added fuel for him, in my opinion.
"We all know how good of a competitor he is. You don't become a great champion like that without being able to overcome some adversity like this."
Kyrgios has emerged as an unlikely ally for Djokovic, with the pair sharing an uneasy relationship since clashing ahead of last year's Australian Open over quarantining conditions.
"It's a bit of a mess with what's going on, and I just don't think we have gone about it the right way," he said.
"I hope it all gets sorted as soon as possible. For the sport we need him here, it's that simple. He's one of the most influential sports people, probably of all time.
"If he's ready to play and he's allowed to play, I think it's in a way good for our sport with all this attention because probably the Australian Open won't have as many views as it's ever probably had if he's able to play.
"I'm feeling for him now. Like it's not really humane, is it, what's going on? His life's probably hard enough as it is, and I know what that's like.
"I just hope it all gets sorted soon."
Voracova says she felt like she was in an action movie when she was detained by Australian authorities regarding the validity of her visa.
Voracova this week joined Djokovic in Australian immigration detention in a furore over the handling of the nation's Covid-19 vaccine exemptions, but unlike the Serb has decided not to appeal the cancellation of her visa.
She had entered Australia and played in Melbourne before being detained on Thursday, and as of Friday was waiting to depart the country, she said in an interview with news site idnes.cz.
"I can't say they were mean to me," Voracova was quoted as saying, when asked about being questioned by authorities. "But I was not prepared for the way everything played out. I felt like being in an action film."
"Several practices in quarantine are not pleasant. You have to report, and everything is allotted. I feel a bit like in prison," she said from the Melbourne hotel where she said she is confined to her room, with the windows shut and escorts in the hallway.
"I felt the worst when they told me they would cancel my visa. Even the lawyer who was with me said I had all the necessary confirmation [documents] in order," she said.
Voracova said she got the exemption because she had recovered from having COVID-19 before Christmas. She said she does not oppose vaccinations but did not have time to get the shot after the last season, as she had planned to.
Voracova added she hoped Djokovic's legal challenge against the rejection of his visa would be successful and she came to Australia to concentrate on tennis, not visa disputes.
"I want them to let [Djokovic] play. We are athletes, we came because of tennis,"
Djokovic flew to Australia with a 'vaccine exemption' and arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday, but was ultimately denied entry into the country after nine hours at the airport.
The Serb's visa was one which did not allow for medical exemptions and was cancelled, after which he was moved to hotel quarantine as his team launched an appeal - this appeal has been adjourned until Monday.
