The Australian Open is “on track to have all the top players back”, according to tournament boss Craig Tiley, in a potential hint to Novak Djokovic’s chances of a return.
Speaking at a Melbourne Victory ‘Victory in Business’ lunch on Wednesday, the tennis head honcho added: “we are at a different point in time now than we were nine months ago and I think it’s a very different environment with people travelling freely around the world and we hope to have all the best players here in January”, reports The Age.
Neither Tennis Australia nor the Australian government have spoken publicly about Djokovic’s chances of getting into the country for next January’s season-opening slam.
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The nine-time champion was famously deported before the 2022 tournament because he had been unwilling to get vaccinated against Covid, the government claiming he had to be sent home for fears he would disrupt civil order and undermine the response against the pandemic.
Under Australian immigration law Djokovic cannot be granted a visa for another three years, though this can be overturned by Australian immigration minister Andrew Giles.
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When former prime minister Scott Morrison was voted out in May, Djokovic was asked about his chances of returning to the tournament and country.
“Yes, I heard the news,” he said of Morrison’s loss.
“But, I mean, I don’t know anything about whether my visa is going to be reinstated or whether I’m going to be allowed to come back to Australia.”
In Djokovic’s absence rival Rafael Nadal won the tournament, becoming the first man to 21 grand slams, a record he extended to 22 at the French Open.
Djokovic won Wimbledon for his 21st slam but was not allowed into the US for the US Open due to their own border rules requiring vaccination.
With Roger Federer retired, it leaves Djokovic and Nadal in a two-horse race for the men’s slam record and effective GOAT status.
Serena Williams has 23 slam titles while Margaret Court holds the all-time record of 24, though most of hers were won before the Open Era and/or against much weaker fields in Australia which were effectively just local tournaments.
