Novak Djokovic Gets Huge Hint He'll Be Allowed To Play In Australian Open After Last Year's Ridiculous Ban

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Novak Djokovic is still waiting on official word on whether or not he'll be allowed to travel to Australia and compete in the 2023 Australian Open. But his chances of that happening seem to have gotten a significant boost.

Djokovic was forced to miss both the US Open and Australian Open in 2022 after choosing not to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

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The Serbian was deported from Australia last January after a 10-day legal saga that ended with his visa being provoked. Djokovic was originally granted an exemption from Australia’s extremely strict vaccination rules to play in the Australian Open, but that exemption was quickly reversed.

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(Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images for Laver Cup)

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Individuals deported from Australia automatically receive a three-year ban from returning to the country. But it now sounds like an exception could be made for Djokovic ahead of next year's Grand Slam.

Australia Open tournament director Craig Tiley hinted that The Joker will be taking the court next year.

"We are on track to have all the top players back," Tiley noted during a Wednsesday press conference. "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 traveling freely around the world and we hope to have all the best players here in January."

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New government leaders have taken positions in Australia. The decision makers that kicked Djokovic out of the country last year are no longer in charge, so the assumption is he will be let back in the country to compete.

These comments from Tiley come less than two weeks after Djokovic made a comment saying he hoped to receive some good news on the decision-making front for the Australian Open.

“It’s really not in my hands right now,” Djokovic told the AP at the Laver Cup. “So I’m hoping I will get some positive news.”

Djokovic won Wimbledon in July for what was his 21st Grand Slam title. He then fell to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals at the French Open in June.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.