Djokovic begins 4th day in Australian detention as legal hearing looms
Djokovic had declined to reveal his vaccination status or reason for seeking a medical exemption for sidestepping Australia's vaccine rules
Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic on Sunday began his fourth day in immigration detention as Australian authorities finalised a legal defence explaining their decision to cancel his visa over questions about his Covid-19 vaccine exemption.
The Serbian sports superstar was hoping to win his 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open later this month, but has instead of training been confined to a hotel used to accommodate asylum seekers. He is challenging a decision to cancel his visa after being stopped on arrival at Melbourne Airport early on Thursday.
A vocal opponent of vaccine mandates, Djokovic had declined to reveal his vaccination status or reason for seeking a medical exemption for sidestepping Australia's vaccine rules. He broke his silence on Saturday by filing a legal challenge saying he was granted an exemption due to contracting - and recovering from - the virus in December.
