And although the Victorian government has mandated that all essential workers must be double jabbed in order to work away from their homes, sources inside the negotiations said the possibility of unvaccinated tennis players arriving in Australia hasn’t been ruled out.

But those same sources said entry requirements would ultimately be a decision for the federal government.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ view was clear on Tuesday.

“I don’t think an unvaccinated tennis player is going to get a visa to come into this country, and if they did get a visa, they would probably have to quarantine for a few weeks,” he said. “I don’t think that’s going to be a relevant issue.”

Djokovic would be chasing a 10th Australian Open and a record-breaking 21st major title.

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“Things being as they are, I still don’t know if I will go to Melbourne,” Djokovic told the online edition of Serbian daily Blic. “I will not reveal my status whether I have been vaccinated or not, it is a private matter and an inappropriate inquiry.

“People go too far these days in taking the liberty to ask questions and judge a person. Whatever you say, ‘Yes, no, maybe, I am thinking about it’, they will take advantage.”

Melbourne’s Kooyong Classic, an exhibition event that attracts players seeking non-tournament play on the eve of the Open, hasn’t yet got certainty about securing a calendar spot.

“We’re still [at] wait and see [stage],” said tournament director Peter Johnston. “We obviously know we’ve got to crunch it soon because we need lead time to put it all together.

“We’ve been waiting on a bit more ‘lens’ on what the policies are. Is it ‘vaccine mandatory’ for all players?

“We kind of have to be ready to react based on what the Australian Open decides. We know we’ve got to move really quick from now on. We can’t leave it much longer.”

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