Novak Djokovic’s father launched a stunning attack on the ‘idiots’ he accused of holding his son ‘prisoner’ in Australia.
Djokovic is being detained at the Park Hotel, a state-run quarantine facility in Melbourne which has also housed asylum seekers.
Djokovic is a nine-time Australian Open winner, but may not be able to defend his titleAFP
The 20-time Grand Slam winner is awaiting the outcome of an appeal against the decision by the Australian Border Force (ABF) to cancel his entry visa and deport him.
The 34-year-old announced on Tuesday that he had received a medical exemption from Covid-19 vaccination rules to defend his Australian Open title.
The news was met with widespread anger across the country, where they have some of the strictest restrictions in the world.
He was held for several hours at the airport in Melbourne before being turned away saying he had failed to provide appropriate evidence to justify the exemption.
Djokovic now faces a tense wait to see if the decision will be overturned.
Djokovic’s father Srdjan said in an interview broadcast by Sky News that his son was being singled out unfairly.
Djokovic’s father launched a scathing attack on the Australian authorities
“Novak and his team filed the same documents as 25 other tennis players (who received exemptions) and they didn’t have any problems, just Novak,” Djokovic senior said.
“They wanted to humiliate him. They could have said ‘don’t come Novak’ and that would have been okay. But no, they wanted to humiliate him and they’re still keeping him in prison.
“He’s not in detention, he’s in prison. They took all of his stuff, even his wallet, they left him with just his phone and no change of clothes, nowhere to wash his face.
Djokovic was given a medical exemption for the Australian Open, but had his visa cancelledAFP
“Our pride is a prisoner of these idiots, shame on them, the whole free world together with Serbia should rise. This isn’t a battle for Serbia and Novak, it’s a battle for billions of people, for freedom of expression, for free speech, freedom of behaviour.
“Novak didn’t break any laws, just as seven billion people didn’t break any laws, they want to subdue us and for us all to be on our knees.”
Get The EDGE
talkSPORT EDGE is the free football app that keeps you one step ahead of your mates with short, sharp and shareable content.
Stay up to date with everything going on in the football world with breaking news, live scores and in-app betting.
How can I get it?
It’s available on iPhone and Android devices.
For iPhone, download talkSPORT EDGE via the App Store here.
For Android, download talkSPORT EDGE via the Play Store here.
