Novak Djokovic will spend at least the next 72 hours in a Melbourne hotel before his next appeal hearing on Monday overturns his ban on entry to Australia.
The Serb is being held in a hotel room, 5 km north of Melbourne Park, after authorities revoked his visa when he arrived in Australia late Wednesday.
At a hearing today, representatives of the Serbian champion and Immigration Minister agreed that no move would be made to deport the 20-time Grand Slam winner before Monday’s hearing in federal court.
The audition will take place a week before the start of the 2022 Australian Open, a tournament in which Djokovic has won nine times, a record number.
Judge Anthony Kelly asked Djokovic’s lawyers when the Australian Open would start and when he was scheduled to play his first match, saying he was open to giving information to Djokovic from a distance, but also warned that he would not be affected by a preference. Australian tennis federation to resolve the issue by Tuesday.
Nick Wood, who represents Djokovic, said he was available to discuss his client’s situation with authorities, noting that resolving the visa issue was crucial.
“As I sit here, the absence of a visa, if the cancellation decision is valid, is an insurmountable obstacle for Mr Djokovic to compete in the tournament,” Wood said.
Last February, Djokovic was quarantined at a luxury hotel in Adelaide and was able to train at the famous Memorial Drive tennis club during his solitary confinement.
In contrast, the hotel where the 34-year-old is now being held, just north of Melbourne’s central business district, has few luxury items and “accommodates” people in custody.
Djokovic’s supporters, Serbs in Melbourne, gathered outside the hotel today and raised their voices with refugee supporters protesting the prolonged detention of others being held there, demanding the release of the Serbian champion.
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