Australian Border Force officials have told world tennis No.1 Novak Djokovic he will not be allowed to enter the country, according to reports.
It is understood the country intends to deport him tomorrow, Thursday, with his lawyers expected to appeal the decision.
Australian newspaper The Age reports his visa has been rejected, and that he will be flown out of Melbourne on January 6.
The Mirror reported that after a long flight, the world's best male tennis player waited nine hours before he could leave Melbourne Airport.
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He had previously said he had been granted a 'medical exemption' to travel to the country to play the Australian Open, which only allows vaccinated people to enter.
All players and staff at the tournament must be vaccinated or have an exemption granted by an expert independent panel.
But the decision has sparked outrage in the country and, on arrival, officials had discovered an issue with the Serbian's visa documents, which caused them to deny Djokovic immediate entry.
It comes as there were ongoing discussions as to whether or not he would be able to defend his Australian Open title, due to his decision not to reveal his vaccination status.
Last year he said he was "opposed to vaccination".
In order to enter the state of Victoria without a medical exemption, travellers must be able to prove they have been fully vaccinated against Coronavirus.
Border Force officials had asked the Victorian government to sponsor the visa and allow him to enter the state, but that was later denied.
Sports minister Jaala Pulford tweeted: "We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.
"We've always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors."
After hours stuck in Melbourne airport, Djokovic's father Srdjan launched a sensational attack on the Australian government and accused Border Force officials of holding his son "captive".
