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Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis player, has been granted an exemption to play in the Australian Open in Melbourne this month, triggering a furious response from health authorities and residents.

Tennis Australia said a medical exemption had been granted to Djokovic, the defending Australian Open champion, after a “rigorous review process” by two independent panels of medical experts including one appointed by the Victorian Department of Health.

The player, 34, has refused to confirm his vaccination status but has publicly opposed mandatory vaccinations.

Craig Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director, reiterated that all players, fans and staff at the tennis must be fully vaccinated “unless there is a genuine reason why an exemption should be granted” to ensure the safety of all participants.

He told broadcaster 9News that the exemption was granted to a handful of applicants, including Djokovic, after a review process that went “above and beyond” what other unvaccinated people entering Australia must comply with. “Ultimately it’s the decision of the medical experts,” he said.

That provoked a strong reaction in Victoria, the state hosting the tennis tournament, which has only recently emerged from some of the most stringent lockdown restrictions in the world and where the government has mandated that some workers must be fully vaccinated.

Stephen Parnis, a physician and former vice-president of the Australian Medical Association, said on social media that the decision to allow Djokovic to pay sent “an appalling message to millions” seeking to reduce the risk of Covid-19. “I don’t care how good a tennis player he is. If he’s refusing to get vaccinated, he shouldn’t be allowed in,” he said.