Djokovic included in Australian Open draw as visa decision looms
A court on Monday allowed him to stay on the grounds that officials had been "unreasonable" in the way they handled his interview in a seven-hour process in the middle of the night
Tennis world No.1 Novak Djokovic was included in the Australian Open official draw on Thursday, although uncertainty remained about whether the government will cancel the top seed's visa for a second time.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is weighing exercising his discretionary power to revoke Djokovic's visa over concern about the star's medical exemption from Australia's Covid-19 vaccination requirements.
The 34-year-old defending champion, who was out practicing at the Rod Laver Arena earlier on Thursday, drew unseeded fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic for his opening round match, expected to be played on Monday or Tuesday.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Organiser Tennis Australia had delayed the official draw for more than an hour, without saying why.
Djokovic, a vaccine sceptic, fuelled widespread anger in Australia last week when he announced he was heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open with a medical exemption from requirements for visitors to be inoculated against Covid-19.
On his arrival, Australian Border Force officials decided his exemption was invalid and he was held alongside asylum-seekers at an immigration detention hotel for several days
