Was there a call from the minister?
Only seconds after the actual start of the draw, the Australian Open postponed it to 4.15 p.m. local time (6.15 a.m. German time). There was no justification.
The background to this, however, will be the pending decision by Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke (44) whether or not Novak Djokovic (34), who is number 1, may keep his visa.
Novak Djokovic still has a good laugh …Photo: Mark Baker / dpa
Because he entered the country unvaccinated, the authorities have been checking the exception permit for a week. On Monday, the tennis star was granted the visa again by the court, which was canceled upon entry.
However, the immigration minister has a power by which he alone can override this decision. Everyone who has to do with the Australian Open is eagerly waiting for it. Because whether Djokovic is allowed to play or not, a lot depends on it for many other participants.
For Djokovic, according to the regulations, number 5 on the seeding list, Russian Andrej Rublev (24) would move to number 1 if he was expelled. If Hawke only throws the Serb out after the schedule is set for Monday, a lucky loser from qualifying would take Djokovic’s position.
Djokovic has obviously violated Corona regulations. First he ticked on the health declaration for entry that he had not traveled 14 days before departure. In fact, he was in Spain and not just in his native Serbia.
He is also said to have manipulated the corona tests. He speaks of a positive test on December 16, followed by a negative test on December 22. However, the timestamp of the database in Serbia dates the positive test to December 26th. Djokovic would have had the negative test entered in him. A definite fraud.