The Australian Open faces the prospect of the men’s draw having to be redone if Novak Djokovic is thrown out of the country.
Djokovic had his visa revoked for a second time, and is once again in detention, with the prospect of Sunday being the deciding day as to whether he stays in Australia – and the tournament – or must leave immediately.
With mounting public pressure, signs are that he will not be able to take his place on court on Monday, where he is due to face compatriot Miomir Kecmanović, the world number 78, in the first round.
His exclusion will have ripple effects on the main draw.
Under Grand Slam rules, Andrey Rublev, the world number five, will take his place, and play Kecmanović instead of his putative opponent, Gianluca Mager of Italy. Other players would also be bumped up the draw making way for a lucky loser – somebody who was knocked out in the qualifying competition – to take the place of Djokovic.
The effects do not stop there. Broadcasters have already decided what first-round matches to stage. That may need to be rearranged. Journalists and bloggers have already spent hundreds of hours writing previews for matches that may now not be played.
The ante-post betting market which is enormous – more money is bet on tennis than any other sport except for football – may mean that millions of pounds and dollars may have to be returned to punters.
Many will argue that this mess is of the Australian Open’s own making. Had organisers not bent over backwards to get Djokovic to play in the tournament despite his unvaccinated status, none of this would have happened.
It has also been damaging for the reputation of tennis, making headlines all around the world, and not just on the back pages.
Even if Djokovic does play, the spotlight on him will be intense, and the reaction from those watching in the stands – all of whom will have been double vaccinated – is likely to be extremely hostile.