Tennis News : Djokovic's mom- 'Novak knows all nation is standing behind him'

The mother of Novak Djokovic on Friday said the nine-time Australian Open champion was "mentally very stable" as he was forced to spend the Orthodox Christmas in a Melbourne detention hotel, working on his challenge against deportation.

Speaking in Belgrade, at a rally in front of the parliament in support of her son, Dijana Djokovic said she had no doubt that if he were allowed to stay and play in the Australia Open, "he will win".

Djokovic, the top men's tennis player in the world, is seeking to fend off deportation over the country's COVID-19 rules and compete in the Grand Slam tournament.

The 34-year-old athlete and vaccine skeptic was barred from entering the country late on Wednesday when federal border authorities at the Melbourne airport rejected his medical exemption to Australia's strict COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

He has been confined to the detention hotel in Melbourne pending a court hearing on Monday, a week before the start of the tournament, where he is seeking to win his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam singles title.