Novak Djokovic tested positive to Covid six days after the Tennis Australia deadline to apply for a medical exemption - raising concerns the world No.1 was given special treatment by tournament organisers.
Federal Court documents on Saturday revealed the detained world No.1 had used his positive Covid-19 result from December 16 to gain a vaccination exemption from TA.
Unvaccinated players were told by TA in a December 7 letter they could apply for a temporary medical exemption if they had caught the virus in the past six months.
The applications needed to be submitted to an independent expert panel by December 10, six days before Djokovic's positive result.
The timing indicates Tennis Australia may have made an exception for the world's best tennis star to get him into the country ahead of the January 17 Grand Slam.
Novak Djokovic (pictured with Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley) tested positive to Covid-19 six days after he was supposed to meet a deadline to apply for a medical exemption to travel for the Australian Open - raising concerns he was given special treatment
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley broke his silence on the saga claiming his staff have done an 'unbelievable job' despite the governing body coming under fire for giving the unvaxxed star wrong health advice
Djokovic tested positive to Covid on December 16 - six days after Tennis Australia's exemption application deadline
Had Djokovic submitted his application before the deadline, he would not have been able to defend his Australian Open crown as he had yet to contract Covid.
The leaked Tennis Australia letter first surfaced on Friday after being published by the Herald Sun.
Court documents on Saturday showed that on December 30 Tennis Australia's chief medical officer granted Djokovic a 'medical exemption from Covid vaccination' on the basis he had recently recovered from the virus.
The Serbian sports star on January 1 also received a 'document from the Department of Home Affairs (which) told Djokovic that his 'responses indicate(d) that (he met) the requirements for a quarantine-free arrival into Australia', the legal filings said.
However when Djokovic arrived at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday night he was questioned for hours by border officials, who then cancelled his visa.
Djokovic, an outspoken critic of mandatory vaccination, has never disclosed his own vaccination status.
He is challenging his visa cancellation in Australian federal court in hopes of winning his 21st Grand Slam at Melbourne Park later this month.
Djokovic remains in a detention hotel in Melbourne and his case will be heard in court on Monday.
Meanwhile another tennis star, Renata Voráčová, 38, who was held in detention alongside Djokovic, had her visa cancelled by border officials and was deported from Australia on a flight to Dubai after not appealing the decision to detain her.
The women's world No.80 had already played in a warm-up competition in Melbourne.
Renata Voráčová, 38, is pictured in the same detention hotel as Djokovic on Saturday. She had her visa ripped up by border force officials and was deported from Australia on a flight to Dubai after not appealing the decision to detain her
November 18: Novak Djokovic was granted a Temporary Activity Visa by the Australian Federal Government
December 7: Tennis Australia sent email informing unvaccinated players they could play in the Australian Open if they had tested positive for Covid-19 in the past six months
December 10: Tennis Australia's deadline for temporary medical exemptions
December 16: Djokovic tests positive to Covid-19
December 30: Tennis Australia grants Djokovic a medical exemption from Covid vaccination on grounds he'd recently recovered from virus, according to his lawyers
January 1: Djokovic is contacted by Department of Home Affairs telling him his 'responses indicate(d) that (he met) the requirements for a quarantine-free arrival into Australia'
January 4: Djokovic posts Instagram photo telling his fans he's going to Australia under a medical exemption
January 5: Djokovic arrives at Melbourne Airport late on Wednesday night before being questioned by Border Force officials after he did not meet requirements to enter the country
January 6: Djokovic undergoes six hours of interrogation before being taken to Melbourne's Park Hotel where he will be kept until Monday
January 10: Djokovic's case will be heard in court
On Saturday Djokovic's lawyers said that on December 30, Tennis Australia's chief medical officer granted him a 'medical exemption from Covid vaccination' on the basis he had recently recovered from the virus
Advertisement
She and the men's No.1 are believed to have been granted the same exemption by Tennis Australia - that they both were recently infected with Covid-19.
An Australian Border Force spokesman said another individual connected to the Australian Open 'has voluntarily departed Australia following ABF inquiries'.
Details have also emerged of his six-hour interrogation by Australian Border Force officials after landing at Melbourne Airport late on Wednesday night.
Djokovic's lawyers claim when he was finally given the chance to sleep, two supervisors quickly woke him and allegedly pressured him to accept the decision of cancelling his visa, telling him he wouldn't be able to lodge an appeal until it was cancelled.
This was before the player was able to speak to Tennis Australia or his legal team.
Voracova and Djokovic are believed to have been granted the same exemption relating to previous Covid infections
Djokovic had wanted to wait until after 8am to contact TA officials but a decision was made at 7.42am.
He had allegedly been told he could rest until 8.30am.
During his interview with Border Force officials documents showed Djokovic told them: 'you, the
