Rafael Nadal has hit out at Novak Djokovic 's Covid vaccine saga in Australia and labelled the controversy 'a circus' before joking he would prefer the Serb to miss out on the Australian Open.
Following the Serb’s successful appeal on Monday, the Australian government agreed to revoke their decision to cancel his visa. However, there is still plenty of uncertainty over his Grand Slam participation with the drama rumbling on.
Immigration minister Alex Hawke can personally intervene and decide to cancel his visa anyway - which would possibly see Djokovic banned from Australia for three years, however this appears unlikely.
Djokovic was released from Australian immigration detention after winning his court challenge to remain in the country to play in Melbourne - and Nadal believes his participation in the tournament is the fairest outcome.
"Whether or not I agree with Djokovic on some things, justice has spoken and has said that he has the right to participate in the Australian Open and I think it is the fairest decision to do so, if it has been resolved that way," Nadal told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
"I wish him the best of luck."
The federal government intervened last Thursday to cancel Djokovic's visa, leaving the world No 1's Australian Open chances in tatters.
Djokovic argued he had received a medical exemption allowing him to play in the Australian Open, but his exemption was only signed off by Tennis Australia and the Victorian government rather than the federal government.
Border officials had previously ruled Djokovic did not meet the exemption criteria whereby all non-Australians had to be fully vaccinated against Covid. He reportedly provided officials with a medical exemption given to him by Tennis Australia and two medical panels.
After admitting that it was the fairest thing to let Djokovic play in Melbourne, Nadal couldn't help but make a joke regarding the Serb's status though.
"On a personal level, I'd much rather he didn't play," the Spaniard said while laughing. "It's sports, many interests move around it, on a general level, at an economic, advertising level.
"Everything is much better when the best can be playing."
Despite suggesting he would welcome the presence of Djokovic on the court, Nadal reiterated the importance of the vaccine amid his labelling of the world No 1's stance: "The most important institutions in the world say that the vaccine is the way to stop this pandemic and the disaster that we have been living for the last 20 months.
"All the debate that surrounds it is a circus, but one thing is clear: no matter how much debate is generated, there is one clear fact and it is that there have been millions of deaths in the world due to a virus, that is a reality."
Nadal's latest comments come after he previously warned his tennis rival that he must face 'consequences' over his vaccine stance.
Australian Open qualifying begins today, with the full tournament kicking off a week later and concluding on January 30.
