Victoria won't seek exemptions for unvaccinated tennis players to enter the state from overseas to play in the Australian Open, Premier Daniel Andrews has warned.
"What I want to make very clear is that the state of Victoria will not be applying for any exemptions for unvaccinated players," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"I am not going to ask and require people sitting in the grandstand, people working at the event to be vaccinated while players aren't. We're not going to be applying an exemption."
Unvaccinated people are not allowed at Melbourne Park, where the tournament is held.
Victoria has a cap on unvaccinated people arriving in the state and Mr Andrews said he won't be asking the federal government for exemptions for the Open.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday flagged unvaccinated players would be able to travel to Australia for the tournament but would be required to quarantine for 14 days.
"If there is a special exemption that is warranted for an economic reason ... that can happen but you have to follow the health rules in that state," he told Nine Network.
"Two weeks quarantine for unvaccinated people, that is sensible."
Mr Morrison said while there were clear rules requiring Victorians to be vaccinated to take part in economic activity "there needs to be a little bit of flexibility so we can live with the virus".
"We want major events in this country, a lot of jobs depends on it. We want Australia to show to the world that we are open," he added.
Mr Morrison's comments contradict those made by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who last week said athletes would need to be double-vaccinated to enter the country.
"I was perfectly supportive of Minister Hawke's view, which I took to be the view of the federal government and it appears that is not the case," Mr Andrews said.
World No.1 Novak Djokovic has repeatedly refused to reveal whether or not he has received a jab.
Questions about the defending champion's return to Melbourne Park, where he will be hunting a staggering 10th Australian Open title, were raised when Victoria recently introduced a vaccination mandate for professional athletes.
