{"id":47335,"date":"2022-01-07T16:23:23","date_gmt":"2022-01-07T16:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=47335"},"modified":"2022-01-07T16:23:23","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T16:23:23","slug":"novak-djokovic-thanks-fans-for-support-amid-australian-visa-row","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qatar-news.org\/qatarnewsEn\/?p=47335","title":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic thanks fans for support amid Australian visa row"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The men\u2019s world tennis number one Novak Djokovic has thanked his supporters amid a visa dispute over COVID-19 vaccines<\/a> that has seen him being detained at a Melbourne hotel<\/a> ahead of this month\u2019s Australian Open.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you to people around the world for your continuous support. I can feel it and it is greatly appreciated,\u201d the Serbian wrote on Instagram on Friday.<\/p>\n

Djokovic was granted a medical exemption<\/a> from Australia\u2019s strict COVID-19 vaccination requirement following a review by two independent panels prior to boarding his flight, but was denied entry<\/a> upon landing in Melbourne late on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old is currently housed in a government detention hotel in the suburb of Carlton, 5km (3 miles) north of Melbourne Park, after authorities cancelled his visa when he arrived in Australia.<\/p>\n

The player\u2019s lawyers launched an appeal seeking to overturn the federal government decision, with a court agreeing not to deport him before a full hearing scheduled for Monday.<\/p>\n

Djokovic\u2019s wife Jelena also took to social media to express her gratitude to the player\u2019s fans for their backing.<\/p>\n

She wrote: \u201cThank you dear people, all around the world for using your voice to send love to my husband.<\/p>\n