Should he stay or should he go? The fate of tennis star Novak Djokovic, who could get kicked out of Australia before he has a chance to defend his Australian Open title, has caught public imagination in the country like never before.

Australians’ love of sport against support for the country’s strict border controls, at a time of growing frustration over the government’s handling of Covid-19, is fuelling animated conversations in coffee queues, living rooms and virtual workplaces.

Djokovic, the top seed and defending champion, has been included in the draw for the tournament. But immigration minister Alex Hawke is weighing exercising discretionary powers to revoke his visa for a second time because the government disputes the superstar’s claim to have a medical exemption from the country’s Covid-19 vaccination requirements...