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The Australian Open has not started yet but even before the commencement of the event, the amount of attention it has gained and the level of buzz it has created is simply unbelievable.
The recent unusual developments that had unfolded in the Novak Djokovic-Australian Open saga saw the current World Number 1 confined to a detention hotel. And now a Czech tennis player, Renata Voracova, who is in the exactly same detention centre as the Serbian communicated that her detention felt like “being in prison.”
“I’m in a room and I can not go anywhere. My window is shut tight; I can not open it five centimetres (two inches).
"And there are guards everywhere, even under the window, which is quite funny. Maybe they thought I would jump and run away.
“They bring me food and there is a guard in the corridor. You have to report, everything is rationed. I feel a bit like in prison,” the 38-year-old Voracova was quoted while talking to Czech dailies.
Novak's first statement
Djokovic, on the other hand, issued his first comment since being detained in an Instagram post.
"Thank you to people around the world for your continuous support. I can feel it and it is greatly appreciated," he wrote.
The nine-time Australian open champion initially announced that he was going to take part in the Australian Open with an exemption pass and since then he had to face a lot of backlash and the seriousness of the matter went to such an extent that he was denied entry into Australia and the host nation also cancelled the Serbian’s entry visa.
Australian Border Force's statement
“Mr Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently cancelled," the Australian Border Force said in a statement.
"Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa cancelled will be detained and removed from Australia," the statement further added.
"The Australian Border Force will continue to ensure that those who arrive at our border comply with our laws and entry requirements."
Only time will tell whether the Australian Open will turn out to be a grand success or not but the sensation it has created even before the commencement is something not many people would have predicted.
