Jan 14, 2022: The Australian government revoked Novak Djokovic’s visa for the second time on Friday, saying World Tennis No. 1, who has not been vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine, could pose a threat to the community.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used discretionary powers to revoke Djokovic’s visa after a court overturned an earlier revocation and released him from immigration custody on Monday.

“Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so,” Hawke said in a statement.

Defending champion Djokovic was included as the top seed in Thursday’s draw and was due to face Serb Miomir Kecmanovic for his opening match on Monday or Tuesday.

The decision to revoke his visa on COVID-19 entry rules could trigger a second court battle between the Serbian tennis star and the court, who rejected the earlier revocation and released him from immigration custody on Monday.

Earlier, Melbourne’s The Edge newspaper quoted a source in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal Party as saying the government was “strongly inclined” to revoking the visa again.

Djokovic, a vaccine skeptic, sparked widespread outrage in Australia when he announced last week that he was going to Melbourne for the Australian Open, with a medical exemption to requirements for visitors to be inoculated against COVID-19.

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