Novak Djokovic ‘not a prisoner’ in Australia and could leave, says minister

Novak Djokovic is not being held captive in Australia, and can leave with the help of the Border Force whenever he wants, an Australian minister has said.

The tennis star is confined to a secure immigration detention hotel as he awaits a court hearing on Monday to resolve his visa status and establish whether he can play in the Australian Open.

The world number one, who has spoken critically of vaccines, was hit with a backlash after being granted an exemption from strict vaccination rules to play.

Djokovic’s parents have slammed the conditions of the Park Hotel in Melbourne, where he is thought to be staying, claiming their son is being held “prisoner”.

His mother, Dijana, said: “It’s not fair. It’s not human. I hope that he will win. Terrible, terrible accommodation. It’s just some small immigration hotel, if it’s a hotel at all."

But home affairs minister Karen Andrews insisted there was nothing stopping Djokovic going home on the next flight.

“Can I say, firstly, that Mr Djokovic is not being held captive in Australia. He is free to leave at any time that he chooses to do so," she said. "And Border Force will actually facilitate that."

The country’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, had not objected to the decision of Tennis Australia and the Victoria state government to grant Djokovic a vaccine exemption, but quickly embraced the decision to deny him entry

"No one is above these rules," Mr Morrison said.

"Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from Covid. We are continuing to be vigilant."

Paul McNamee, the former director of the Australian Open, said Djokovic was being treated unfairly.

"The guy played by the rules, he got his visa, he arrives, he’s a nine-time champion and whether people like it or not he’s entitled to fair play," he told ABC.

"There’s no doubt there’s some disconnect between the state and the federal government. I hate to think politics are involved but it feels that way."

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The decision has also sparked a political row with Djokovic’s native Serbia, whose president, Aleksandar Vucic has asked that the athlete be moved to a house he has rented and "not to be in that infamous hotel."

"I’m afraid that this overkill will continue," he said. "When you can’t beat someone, then you do such things."

Many in Melbourne, where the tournament is being held, saw a double standard in Djokovic being granted a vaccine exemption, as the country has endured harsh lockdowns and is currently experiencing surging cases.

Victoria state recorded six deaths and nearly 22,000 new cases on Thursday, the biggest one-day jump in the caseload since the pandemic began.

However, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has defended the "completely legitimate application and process" and insisted there was no special treatment for Djokovic.

Twenty-six people connected with the tournament applied for a medical exemption and, Tiley said, only a "handful" were granted. None of those have been publicly identified.

It is not yet known how Djokovic was able to board a plane in Dubai and why he wasn’t told he might be turned back at the Australian border.