Novak Djokovic’s Australia visa was revoked for the second time today – putting his participation in the Australian Open in question once again and potentially leading to another legal impasse.
Here’s what that means and what could happen next, according to legal experts.
Can Djokovic appeal again? Yes – the tennis star can request a temporary injunction from the judge, said Justin Quill, partner at an Australian law firm in Melbourne. During that additional time, he can remain in the country and appeal the decision.
But “you can’t appeal just because you want to appeal,” Quill said – Djokovic has to show the judge he has valid grounds to oppose the decision.
Can Djokovic play in the tournament during legal proceedings? It is not yet clear – the Australian Open, which starts on Monday, is now in doubt, with Djokovic’s draw in a first-round match against fellow Serb Miomir Kekmanovic.
What are Djokovic’s alternatives? Maria Jokel, an immigration law expert at BDO Australia, told CNN that Djokovic’s lawyers now have 28 days to make representations to the immigration minister, who could then choose to reinstate the visa.
During that time, Djokovic may be detained again – unless the minister grants him bridging visaJockel said, that could allow him to make arrangements to leave Australia or play in the Open while waiting for a decision to be made.
Djokovic’s lawyers could also go to court – but he would face an uphill legal battle, especially given his confession earlier this week that there was false information in his travel announcement, Jockel said.
The announcement said he had not traveled in the 14 days before arriving in Melbourne – but photos taken during that period show him in both Spain and Serbia.
Djokovic called it a “human error” in a statement on Wednesday.
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