Throughout 2021 and 2022 Novak Djokovic repeatedly made headlines for both his refusal to get vaccinated against the disease and for unapologetically breaking social distancing regulations several times. In fact, the Serbian star stated that he would rather skip tournaments in certain countries rather than get vaccinated.
That led Novak Djokovic to miss tournaments on US and Canadian soil. With a lot of denial from events, it was reported that Djokovic’s mother claimed that her son, a 9-time Australian Open champ was treated like a prisoner on one of the grand slams.
Novak Djokovic’s mother said Australian treated Nole “like a prisoner”
Novak Djokovic had arrived for the 2022 Australian Open like every other player but was detained by Australian authorities for not getting vaccinated. The Serbian star’s mother revealed to reporters that her son was being treated “like a prisoner” in his hotel, as he awaited news on his visa application.
Novak Djokovic’s appeal to enter Australia and participate in the Australian Open was taking days and had been adjourned for another four days, causing a delay in deciding whether the 36-year-old would participate in the first Grand Slam of the season. Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, also accused the Australian authorities of holding Nole captive.
Djina Djokovic Novak Djokovic’s mother made a public protest about her son’s situation and said his accommodation was “terrible”.
“I spoke with him a couple of hours ago, he was good, we didn’t speak a lot but we spoke for a few minutes. He was trying to sleep, but he couldn’t,” she said. “As a mother, what can I say, you can just imagine how I feel, I feel terrible since yesterday, the last 24 hours.”
“They are keeping him like a prisoner, it’s just not fair, it’s not human. I hope he will stay strong as we are also trying, to give him some energy to keep going. I hope he will win.’
“His accommodation [is] terrible. It’s just some small, immigration hotel, if it is a hotel at all. With bugs, it’s all dirty, the food is terrible. They don’t want to give him a chance to move to a better hotel or a rented house.”
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Djokovic would receive no special treatment, but Srdjan says his son’s ban is politically motivated.
“They’re keeping him in captivity,” he told reporters in Belgrade on Thursday.. “They’re stomping all over Novak to stomp all over Serbia and Serbian people.”
However, the event didn’t pan out well for Novak Djokovic as he was deported from Australia as an illegal immigrant, and at the end of the season, he told reporters that he would never forget the event in his life.
What is Novak Djokovic’s net worth in 2023?
Throughout Novak Djokovic’s career, he has been the top-ranked player by the ATP on eight occasions. The Serbian is famous for his rivalry with Rafael Nadal, and the two players have produced some of the most entertaining matches in tennis history.
The 36-year-old’s total prize money earnings sum up to $175,281,484 which makes him the highest-earning tennis player of all time, as of September 2023. It is reported that Novak Djokovic’s current net worth is estimated at $245 million. This includes his prize money earnings in tennis along with his endorsements, sponsorship deals, and business ventures.
2023 was an outstanding season for Novak Djokovic where he won the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. Apart from his exploits in Grand Slams, the Serb also won the Paris Masters and ATP Finals.
