‘It’d be a slap in the face’: Ex-Aussie minister’s blunt reply to question on Novak Djokovic’s Australia ban waiver

Novak Djokovic was denied an opportunity to defend his Australian Open title earlier this year as he as deported from Australia owing to his Covid vaccination status. Djokovic was subsequently handed a ban on his visa. However, Djokovic remains hopeful that the ban will bet lifted next year and he would he allowed to participate at the 2023 Australian Open. The Serb has also received a positive update form the tournament chief. However, former Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has made a fiery statement on ongoing discussions surrounding a waiver on Djokovic’s Australia ban.

The visa ban restricts Djokovic from entering Australia till 2025. And Djokovic continues to maintain his stance over Covid vaccination. Yet, he remains hopeful for a “good news” of playing in the 2023 Australian Open.

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Speaking on Mornings, Karen Andrews opined that Djokovic should not receive any special treatment and rather questioned the logic behin the discussion.

“It would be a slap in the face for those people in Australia who did the right thing… if all of a sudden, Novak Djokovic is allowed back into the country, simply because he is a high-ranking tennis player with many millions of dollars,” she said.

Earlier this month, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has come up with a positive news for Djokovic over the possibility of his return to the tournament next year.

“We are on track to have all the top players back,” he had said during a Melbourne Victory luncheon. 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.”