The president of Serbia has confirmed that officials in his country are ‘negotiating’ with Australian officials to move Novak Djokovic out of a quarentine detention facility.
Aleksandar Vučić has been quoted by national broadcaster RTS saying that he has held ‘multiple conversations’ with the 20-time Grand Slam champion. Djokovic is currently staying at the Park Hotel, a quarantine facility in Melbourne. The hotel is known for holding government detainees since December 2020 whilst they seek visa’s to remain in the country. According to Reuters, more than two dozen of those detainees still remain at the hotel which also experienced a Covid-19 outbreak last year.
The Serbian government says they want the tennis star to be moved to a house which he is renting until his hearing on Monday. Djokovic’s legal team is appealing against the decision to revoke his visa but the case has been adjourned until then which is exactly a week before the start of the Australian Open.
“Vladimir Marić (assistant minister of Serbian foreign ministry) called the Australian ambassador last night and this morning and in accordance with the agreements that Ana Brnabic (Serbia’s Prime Minister) is negotiating, wanting one thing before Monday and the final court decision, to allow Novak Djokovic not to be in this infamous hotel, but in the house he rents. Which he can move in and prepare for the tournament,” said Vučić.
Continuing his statement, Vucic confirmed that he has spoken to Djokovic on Thursday morning, as well as his father Srdjan. He has accused the Australian authorities of double standards amid reports that some players have been granted entry into the country using the same process as Djokovic. Those individuals are now being investigated by the Australian Border Force.
“We are doing everything we can, our foreign ministry is actively involved in everything. What is not fair is a general chase in which everyone participates, from the Australian prime minister, saying that all rules apply to everyone, and that is meaningless. They released more tennis players (from questioning) under the same conditions as Novak did.”
The controversy surrounding the detention of Djokovic has sparked widespread anger across his native country. Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki, who retired from professional tennis last year, claims the process is politically motivated. Describing it as a ‘great scandal.’
“I do not remember that something like this happened to a world champion, not only in tennis, to one of the greatest athletes of all time. I do not remember that an athlete was so mistreated by a government,” Troicki told RTS .
“They are political games, it has nothing to do with sport, it is mistreatment and a very big scandal,” he added.
Djokovic is yet to speak in public following his visa refusal.
