Novak Djokovic’s entry into Australia on a vaccine exemption has been delayed due to issues with the visa he and his crew submitted.

Having landed in Melbourne, the 20-time grand slam winner was reportedly trying to enter the nation on a visa that doesn’t allow medical exemptions for being unvaccinated, and when Border Force contacted authorities officers in Victoria to sponsor the visa, they refused to achieve this.

The Serbian arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday night native time, however confronted hassle on the border, with Acting Sports Minister Jaala Pulford confirming that the state authorities was not supporting his visa utility to compete within the Australian Open.

She tweeted: “The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia.

“We is not going to be offering Novak Djokovic with particular person visa utility assist to take part within the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.

“We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors.”

On Tuesday, the 34-year-old Serb revealed he had an “exemption permission” to travel and play at the Australian Open with no Covid-19 vaccination.

Djokovic has by no means revealed whether or not he’s vaccinated in opposition to Covid-19, however has criticised mandates ruling that gamers have to be double-jabbed.

The response to Tuesday’s exemption affirmation was closely destructive, each in Australia and around the globe, and ultimately noticed Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison affirm that Djokovic would be “on the next plane home” if his evidence for a Covid-19 vaccination exemption to play at the Australian Open is not satisfactory.

“There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic at all, none whatsoever,” PM Morrison stated.

“He has to because if he’s not vaccinated, he must provide acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and to be able to access the same travel arrangements, as fully vaccinated travellers.”

Rules in Victoria, the place the Australian Open will start on January 17, said that gamers have to be double-vaccinated in opposition to Covid-19.

Tournament director Craig Tiley stated earlier it could be “helpful” for Djokovic to make clear his scenario on what exempts him from vaccination.

“We completely understand and empathise that some would have been upset by the fact that Novak Djokovic has come in because of his statements around vaccination in the past couple of years,” Tiley advised reporters.

“We would love…Novak to talk about it and help us with it, but ultimately it’s going to be up to him.

“We aren’t ready, even legally, to disclose different folks’s medical data.”

Meanwhile, PM Morrison’s comments were echoed by a statement from Australia’s minister for home affairs Karen Andrews.

“Australian Border Force will proceed to be sure that those that arrive at our border adjust to our strict border necessities,” her statement read.

“No particular person competing on the Australian Open will probably be afforded any particular therapy.”

Tiley has revealed 26 unvaccinated players applied for exemption, with Djokovic among only a “handful” given the inexperienced mild below tips set by federal regulators.

Criteria listed by the Australian Technical Advisory Group as permissible causes for a medical exemption vary from acute main medical situations to any critical hostile occasion attributed to a earlier dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

A attainable clarification is that Djokovic has contracted coronavirus for a second time in some unspecified time in the future up to now six months, having beforehand caught it throughout his much-criticised Adria Tour occasion in Belgrade in 2020.

That would negate the necessity for vaccination, in accordance to guidelines printed final 12 months by one in all two unbiased medical panels concerned within the determination.

The build-up to the season’s first grand slam has been dominated by whether or not Djokovic can be concerned.

Speculation was heightened after he pulled out of the Serbia crew competing on the ATP Cup in Sydney with out clarification.

The event offers Djokovic with one other likelihood to transfer away from rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with the three having every received 20 grand slam titles.

He was difficult for the calendar 12 months grand slam in 2021 however fell brief within the US Open remaining by shedding to Daniil Medvedev, the person he beat in final 12 months’s Australian Open remaining.