The Australian government did not tell Novak Djokovic that his “so-called medical exemption” would allow him to enter the country to compete in the Australian Open, court documents claim.

On Sunday, the government filed 13 pages of documents ahead of a hearing later to decide whether the Serbian tennis star can remain in the country or be deported. It also challenged Djokovic’s claim that he had had a COVID infection at the end of last year.

The hearing is due to start at 10am on Monday morning (11pm Sunday UK time), after a request by the Home Affairs to delay it to Wednesday was rejected.

Representatives for the world’s top-ranked tennis player say he was given a medical exemption after testing positive for COVID-19 on 16 December.

His legal team says they had an assessment from the Department of Home Affairs that his responses on his Australia Traveller Declaration indicated he met the requirements for quarantine-free entry into the country.

Read more on Djokovic’s team case – as court documents claim he was questioned for six hours

But the government said: “It had not represented to the applicant that his so-called ‘medical exemption’ would be accepted.”

Novak Djokovic: Australia loses bid to delay visa hearing – as court documents claim tennis star was sleep-deprived and questioned for six hours

Novak Djokovic pictured with young players the day after lawyers say he tested positive for COVID

Novak Djokovic court application shows he tested positive for COVID on 16 December – as Czech tennis player Renata Voracova leaves Australia after detention

It argued “that says nothing about the power of the minister (or her delegate) to interrogate those responses, the evidence upon which they were based, and conclude that a cancellation power was enlivened under the Act upon his arrival into Australia”.

The government submission also challenged Djokovic’s infection claim, saying: “There is no suggestion that the applicant had ‘acute major medical illness’ in December 2021.

“All he has said is that he tested positive for COVID-19.”

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