Novak Djokovic

World No. 1 and defending champion Djokovic's arrival in Melbourne from Serbia for the opening Grand Slam of the year has created a controversy as he has secured a "medical exemption" from Tennis Australia (TA) to compete in the tournament. The nine-time Australian Open champion has refused to disclose his COVID-19 vaccination status, saying it's a private matter.

The reigning Australian Open champion on Monday won the legal battle in his bid to remain in Australia, with a court ordering his immediate release from immigration detention. The judge hearing the Serbian player's case ordered Djokovic be released and his passport and other travel documents returned to him, rekindling his chance to win a record 21st Grand Slam title at the upcoming Australian Open.

In court documents published on Saturday, it was stated that Djokovic recorded a positive test on December 16, and has not had a fever or respiratory symptoms of Covid-19 in the last 72 hours". According to his legal team, Djokovic was also provided with a letter from the chief medical officer of Tennis Australia recording he had a medical exemption from Covid vaccination.

Djokovic in his Instagram post on Tuesday said that he will be travelling to Australia with an 'exemption permission'. But he was denied entry upon landing in Melbourne late on Wednesday and authorities cancelled his visa. The player's lawyers then launched an appeal seeking to overturn the federal government decision, with a court agreeing not to deport him before a full hearing scheduled for Monday.

France does not bar unvaccinated people from entering its territory but imposes tougher restrictions than on those who have had the shot. Sports minister Maracineanu said International Tennis Federation (ITF) protocols at major events meant an unvaccinated player would be entitled to enter France and participate in Roland Garros, which begins in May.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote: "Mr Djokovic's visa has been cancelled. Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant."

Sports in 2021 happened at a rapid pace. With the cloud of pandemic looming around, sportspersons faced challenges in mental, emotional and physical terms apart from on-field happenings. But some of them managed to overcome all sorts of obstacles and be great in their pursuit of sporting excellence. As we step into the new year, we look at the top 21 male sports performers of the previous year.

World No. 1 Djokovic has kept the Australian Open organisers in the dark about his COVID-19 vaccination status, and with the winner of 20 Grand Slam titles withdrawing from the multi-nation ATP Cup in Sydney from January 1, 2022, he has added to the mystery of his participation in the opening major of the year.

According to Serbian newspaper Blic, a member of his team reportedly said, "It is 99 per cent sure that Novak won't go to the ATP Cup. He is training here (in Belgrade) but he has decided to give that tournament a miss." The 34-year-old, who ended the 2021 season as world No.1 for a record seventh time to break the tie with American great Pete Sampras, has kept the organisers guessing about his COVID-19 vaccination status and his reported pull-out of the multi-nation ATP Cup has made his Australian Open participation more complex.

On Monday, Nadal had stated that he was experiencing 'unpleasant moments' after testing positive. Nadal's coach Carlos Moya, too, tested positive on Wednesday. Talking about Nadal, Tiley said the 20-time Grand Slam champion will be fully recovered from the virus and be able to travel to Australia in time.