It has been turbulent times for the 20-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic. When he stepped into Australia earlier this year, little did he know about the controversy waiting ahead of him? Owing to this, the Serbian failed to defend his Australian Open title after his visa cancelation and subsequent deportation.

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During his stay in the Melbourne detention hotel, an Iranian refugee made the headlines after he was kept in detention there for around nine years. However, he has been finally set free.

Refugee accompanying Novak Djokovic in Melbourne detention hotel set free

Mehdi, an asylum seeker, arrived in Australia when he was 15. Subsequently, the authorities kept him in detention in the Melbourne detention hotel. It was the same hotel where Djokovic spent his time in Australia earlier this year. The authorities finally set him free after nine long years.

Speaking on his time in the detention center, he said, “I just tried to figure out how to fill my days: I have to survive them. If I can sleep, I sleep as much as I can, otherwise I just go for a smoke, watch movies, read books. But usually, I don’t do anything, I just lay down on the bed. I just lie here.”

Comparing his situation to that of Djokovic, he added, “There is a disappointment: everyone wants to ask me about Novak, what the hotel is like for him. But they don’t ask about us: we have been locked up in this place for months, for years. I’ve never seen so many cameras, so much attention. I hope Novak Djokovic learns about our situation here, and I hope he speaks about it.”

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With the controversy behind him, Djokovic has moved his focus back on the tennis court. His only tournament this year to date was the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships. However, he suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Jiri Vesely in the quarterfinals. With the Sunshine Double coming up this month, can Djokovic find his lost mojo back? Let us know your views in the comments below.