‘I Can Feel It’: Djokovic Sends Thanks for the Support

Protestors in the rain outside the Park Hotel in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne where it is believed Serbia's Novak Djokovic is currently being detained, Australia, on Jan. 7, 2022. Hamish Blair/AP Photo

The top men’s tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, spent Orthodox Christmas in an immigration detention hotel in Australia on Friday as he sought to fend off deportation over the country’s COVID-19 rules and compete in the Australian Open.

Djokovic received calls from his native Serbia, including from his parents and the president, who hoped to boost his spirits on the holiday.