(CNN)Despite the uncertainty surrounding his participation in the upcoming Australian Open, Novak Djokovic has been listed as the men’s No. 1 by tournament organizers.
On Monday, a judge overturned the Australian government’s decision to annul Djokovic’s visa and ordered his release from a temporary immigration detention center in Melbourne.
However, the unvaccinated world No. 1 could still be deported as Australia’s Immigration Secretary considers intervening to remove the tennis player from the country.
Djokovic comes to this year’s Australian Open with a chance to set himself apart from longtime rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the race for the title of greatest player of all time.
All three currently have 20 Grand Slam titles each and with Federer not competing this year due to knee surgery and Nadal still recovering from a break with an injury, Djokovic would be the big favorite to win the title in 2022.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev – Djokovic’s conqueror in last year’s US Open final – is second, with Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Nadal is sixth but will go into the Australian Open with more confidence after winning the Melbourne Summer Set title last week.
READ: Djokovic has won his court case but few Australians are celebrating
“Harmful on All Fronts”
The ATP Tour has interfered in Djokovic’s ordeal for the first time since the 34-year-old was jailed by the Australian government last Wednesday.
The men’s professional tennis tour called the series of events leading up to Djokovic’s Monday visa hearing “damaging on all fronts” – including the athlete’s well-being, according to a statement from the federation on Monday.
The ATP Tour also strongly recommended vaccination for all players on the ATP Tour, calling it “essential for our sport to deal with the pandemic”. It added that 97% of the top 100 players heading to this year’s Australian Open are vaccinated.
READ: Judge orders release of Djokovic from immigration detention in Australia
“The ATP fully respects the sacrifices made by the people of Australia since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the tough immigration policies that have been put in place,” the statement said.
“However, complications over the past few days related to players entering Australia have highlighted the need for a clearer understanding, better communication and application of the rules.
“When Novak Djokovic traveled to Melbourne it was clear that he believed he had obtained a necessary medical exemption to comply with entry requirements. The series of events leading up to Monday’s court hearing has been damaging on all fronts, including Novak’s well-being and preparation for the Australian Open.”
Examination of the travel declaration
Meanwhile, the Australian Border Force (ABF) is investigating whether Djokovic made a false travel declaration before arriving in Australia, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.
Djokovic said he had not, and will not, travel in the 14 days leading up to his arrival in Australia on Wednesday, January 5, according to a travel statement given in evidence to the court to determine whether he allowed to stay in Australia.
Various images taken during these two weeks appear to show Djokovic in both Spain and Serbia.
While court documents show Tennis Australia completed the travel declaration on Djokovic’s behalf, the information used was ascertained by Djokovic, an ABF officer, at Melbourne Airport on January 5.
According to Australia’s Home Office website, the penalty for filing a false travel declaration is a maximum of 12 months in prison.
Djokovic’s media team has not responded to CNN’s requests for comment.
The ABF inquiry comes as Australian Immigration Secretary Alex Hawke mulls over whether to use his personal power to cancel Djokovic’s reinstated visa.
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