Djokovic prepares Australian visa challenge as Covid vaccine furore mounts

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic kept a low profile in his third day in Australian immigration detention on Saturday, joined by Czech women's player Renata Voracova as a blame game between Australian authorities over handling of Covid-19 vaccine exemptions gathered steam.

The Serbian superstar, a vocal opponent of vaccine mandates who came to Australia in hopes of winning his 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open, has been holed up since Thursday in a modest Melbourne hotel after his visa was cancelled due to problems with a medical exemption.

His lawyers are preparing a legal challenge to his visa cancellation, which is scheduled to go to a federal court hearing on Monday, and have been given until Saturday evening, local time, to file a summary of their case.

But other than a short post on Instagram thanking fans for their support, Djokovic, one of the world's wealthiest athletes, has made no public appearance or comment since entering the Park Hotel, which is also home to dozens of asylum seekers trying to enter the country.