Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has hinted that world No 1 Novak Djokovic could still be sent packing from the island nation if he failed to provide valid proof of his medical exemption to attend next week's Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne.
While Immigration Minister Alex Hawke hasn't yet made up his mind whether to deport Djokovic or not, Morrison insisted that he expected his cabinet colleague "to implement the policy of the government".
"These are personal ministerial powers able to be exercised by [Immigration] Minister Alex Hawke", Morrison said.
On the other hand, Hawke's office said that the Immigration Ministry was carefully analysing the additional information that has been provided by the defending Australian Open champion's legal team.
"Mr Djokovic's lawyers have recently provided lengthy further submissions and supporting documentation said to be relevant to the possible cancellation of Mr Djokovic's visa", a statement from the ministry said.
But the chances of Djokovic featuring in the prestigious event are still hanging by a thread, especially after anomalies were detected in the 20-time Grand Slam champion's travel history documents.
The top-ranked tennis player in the world later admitted to the goof-up in a post on Instagram on Wednesday.
Besides this, there have been suspicions about his PCR test after the QR code threw mixed results. It led to criticism from several quarters, with some journalists raising concerns over the authenticity of his COVID-19 test report itself.
Providing solid evidence about why he can't be vaccinated is vital for Djokovic's future stay in the country. Australia's strict vaccination rules only allow fully vaccinated or medically exempted people inside the country.
Anti-vaxxer Djokovic is bidding to become the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles and his 10th at Melbourne Park.
He is currently tied with his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - both of whom have 20 Slams each.
The Australian Open gets underway on 17 January.