'Grateful' Novak Djokovic thanks fans for support after visa row; hopes to compete in Australian Open 2022

Novak Djokovic's visa cancellation has been overturned by the Australian court. On the same note, he has thanked the Judge and the fans. Also, his family has said that he has returned to the court.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia has been in the news lately for controversial reasons, especially regarding his COVID vaccine exemption. While he was detained in Melbourne, with his visa cancelled, it was all restored by the Australian court. The reigning world number one has expressed his delight in the same light.

On Monday, the Australian court and the Judge overruled Djokovic's visa cancellation. He also asked the Australian government to take the Serbian out of the detention centre, besides his passport and other documents being handed back to him. Although it was also stated that the Australian immigration minister could still cancel his visa, it has not happened on Monday night.

Following the overturn of his deportation claims, Djokovic took to his social media to share a picture of himself and his team at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. He captioned it by writing, "I am pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened in the past week, I want to stay and to try to compete at the Australian Open. I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. For now, I cannot say more but THANK YOU for standing with me through all this and encouraging me to stay strong 🙏❤️🙌💪".

However, it could not be confirmed if the picture is Djokovic's latest one. On the other hand, his family claimed that he had been allowed to return to the court ahead of his title defence at the 2022 Australian Open. The tournament gets underway in Melbourne from January 17, where he happens to be the record ten-time defending champion and chases his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title.

"Novak is free. A few minutes ago, he trained on a tennis court. He came to Australia to play tennis and win another Australian Open. He has been branded in different ways for many years, and he has always supported freedom of choice," his brother Djordje was quoted as saying to Serbian reporters during a press conference, reports BBC.

"Justice and the rule of law have prevailed. The Judge who presided over the case has shown that not for a second was Novak the guilty party. The Judge was fantastic. He simply respected the facts. He took the only decision that was possible, which was to release Novak," Djokovic's father Srdan stated, reports The Guardian.

Also, Djokovic's mother, Dijana, concluded by saying, "We're here to celebrate the victory of our son Novak. He always fought for justice. He's done nothing wrong. He went there to win that tournament. This situation has been complicated. There has been a spectrum of emotions: sadness, fear, disappointment."