Novak Djokovic's mother says the tennis champ is being held as a 'prisoner': 'It's not fair. It's not human.'

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Novak Djokovic's mother says the tennis champ is being held as a 'prisoner': 'It's not fair. It's not human.'
Novak Djokovic of Serbia wipes away sweat during the Davis Cup Semi Final match between Croatia and Serbia at Madrid Arena on December 03, 2021 in Madrid, Spain.Sanjin Strukic/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images
  • Novak Djokovic's mother said her son is being held like a "prisoner" in Australia.
  • Djokovic is being held at a quarantine facility in Australia after having his visa revoked.
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Novak Djokovic's mother criticized the conditions her tennis star son faces while being held in Australia after having his visa revoked due to issues with the country's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

"I feel terrible since yesterday, the last 24 hours," Dijana Djokovic said at a press conference on Thursday. "They are keeping him like a prisoner. It's just not fair. It's not human. I just hope he will be strong as we are trying also to be very strong to give him some energy to keep on going. I hope that he will win."

Djokovic, who traveled to Melbourne on Wednesday to compete in the Australian Open tournament, is being held in a quarantine facility where guests previously complained of being served moldy, maggot-ridden food.

"It's just some small immigration hotel, if we can call it a hotel at all," Dijana Djokovic said on Thursday. "Some bugs, it's dirty, and the food is so terrible."

It's unclear how long Djokovic will stay at the hotel.

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He is appealing Australia's decision to revoke his visa, according to Reuters.

Djokovic was previously given a medical exemption to Australia's COVID-19 vaccine mandate so he could compete in the Australian Open.

But sources told Paul Sakkal, a political reporter for Australian newspaper The Age, that the visa Djokovic had been approved for didn't allow for COVID-19 vaccine medical exemptions.

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