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The Novak Djokovic saga in the Land Down Under has taken another wild turn, and it might not be the end of it all. Djokovic, who is in Melbourne hoping to participate in the upcoming 2022 Australian Open, got great news when the federal circuit court decided to overturn an initial decision for his visa to be canceled due to his status as an unvaccinated individual against COVID-19.
However, that doesn't mean he's already out of the woods. Australia's Minister of Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke, has said that the government can utilize its “ personal power of cancellation,” per ESPN.
“Following today's Federal Circuit and Family Court determination on a procedural ground, it remains within Immigration Minister Hawke's discretion to consider canceling Mr. Djokovic's visa under his personal power of cancellation within section 133C(3) of the Migration Act,” the spokesman said, in the first comments from the minister's office after the court quashed an earlier visa cancellation.
“The Minister is currently considering the matter and the process remains ongoing.”
With the Australian government seemingly having the power to turn the table on Djokovic – again – the Serbian’s participation at the Australian Open remains very much up in the air. That's despite Djokovic’s brother's proclamation that the recent decision of Anthony Kelly, who reinstated the tennis superstar, is a “great defeat for Australian authorities.”
The Australian Open is scheduled to kick off on Jan. 17, with Djokovic looking to capture his 10th Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. He also just needs one more Grand Slam singles title to become the sole leader in all-time Slam titles.
