held here at this immigration detention hotel. more than a week later, he s back only two days before he is meant to compete in the australian open and defend his title, this is where he will be spending the night and when he does get out on sunday, it won t be to go to practice. he will be in his lawyer s office while the court decide his fate. his rival rafael nadal said the grand slam is not just about djokovic. the nadal said the grand slam is not just about djokovic. just about d okovic. the australian 0 en is just about djokovic. the australian open is much just about djokovic. the australian open is much more just about djokovic. the australian open is much more important - just about djokovic. the australian | open is much more important than just about djokovic. the australian - open is much more important than any player so if he is playing, finally, 0k, player so if he is playing, finally, ok, if he s not playing, the australian open will be a great tournament with a wit
here throughout the night. they were here throughout the night. they were here well into midnight. this is 0rthodox christmas morning and they were here saying that he had spent christmas eve on his own. some have lit candles, others were chanting his name and they are back today, supporting him. yesterday his mother said that her son was being kept there like a prisoner and the australian authorities, karen andrews, the home affairs minister, hit back and set if you wanted to close this case and abandon it and go he is free to do so. mr d okovic is not being go he is free to do so. mr d okovic is not being held go he is free to do so. mr d okovic is not being held captive h go he is free to do so. mr d okovic is not being held captive in h is not being held captive in australia. he is free to leave at anytime australia. he is free to leave at any time that he chooses to do so, and border any time that he chooses to do so, and border force will actually facilitate that. and bor
build a relationship up, strengthen our relationship. for build a relationship up, strengthen our relationship. our relationship. for now team d okovic our relationship. for now team djokovic takes our relationship. for now team djokovic takes in our relationship. for now team djokovic takes in the our relationship. for now team djokovic takes in the spotlight | our relationship. for now team | djokovic takes in the spotlight a little more comfortably but things can change. he s going for a 21st grand slam title for the novak djokovic against women is just to make the first round. if you remember last week, at the start of this controversy, tennis australia said that a handful number of players had been given permission to compete with medical exemptions. doubles specialist renata vorakova was allowed in on the basis of having covid in the past six months and though she played in a warm up event in melbourne, she then had her visa cancelled, was taken to the same detention hotel
put anything past djokovic. he seems to feed off adversity and we are other players would have buckled under this ordeal already and happily taking the next flight home he seems determined to stay on and fight this. he seems determined to stay on and fitht this. , ., fight this. broadening this out further, this fight this. broadening this out further, this is fight this. broadening this out further, this is the fight this. broadening this out further, this is the start i fight this. broadening this out further, this is the start of i fight this. broadening this out| further, this is the start of the grand slam season. as we look ahead to other big tournaments, what is happening here of course will be closely watched in the us, france and here in the uk and other places as well. it and here in the uk and other places as well. ., , ., , ., as well. it will, and you see what d okovic as well. it will, and you see what djokovic has as well. it will, and you see what djokovic has
he came there with medical exemption proposal, and then you were mistreating him for ten days, why did you do it? and then doing that witches hunt campaign against him, and that is something that no one can understand. this was a high stakes court battle for both sides. the government has been publicly embarrassed by its mishandling of the controversy, while the player was desperate to avoid forfeiting the chance to compete for his record breaking 21st grand slam title. shaimaa khalil, bbc news, melbourne. our middle east correspondent sameer hashmi is near dubai s international airport and phil mercer is in melbourne. feel i will come to you first because the tennis at last is under way. that is some respect for tennis fans, but what is the view of most of the fans there in terms of the departure of djokovic respite? i there in terms of the departure of djokovic respite?- of d okovic respite? i think ou of djokovic respite? i think you really of djokovic respite? i think