Novak Djokovic’s wife breaks her silence and calls for ‘love and forgiveness’

Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena has broken her silence as Novak Djokovic continues his legal battle to play at the Australian Open.   

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Jelena wrote: ‘It’s Christmas today for us, my wishes are for everyone to be healthy, happy, safe and together with families. We wish we are all together today, but my consolation is that at least we are healthy. And we will grow from this experience.

‘Thank you dear people, all around the world for using your voice to send love to my husband. I am taking a deep breath to calm down and find gratitude (and understanding) in this moment for all that is happening.

‘The only law that we should all respect across every single border is Love and respect for another human being. Love and forgiveness is never a mistake but a powerful force.’    

She spoke out as the blame game among Australian officials over the saga continued, with Victoria’s state premier today pointing the finger at tennis bosses. 

Protests erupted outside the detention hotel where Novak is being held

Jacinta Allan, acting Victorian premier, has been under pressure because it was her state which granted Djokovic a medical exemption – believed to be on the grounds that he was previously infected with Covid because he is not currently vaccinated.

But Allan clarified on Friday, saying the exemption only qualified Djokovic to play in the tournament and not to cross the Australian border.

Instead she pointed the finger of blame at Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia boss, after it emerged the Department of Health sent him two letters back in November saying that prior Covid infection would not be sufficient to cross the border.

Allan said Tiley had failed to inform her government that the exemption which qualified Djokovic to play in the tournament would not get him into the country.

According to her account, it was this failed communication which led Djokovic to board a flight to Australia believing he had been granted an exemption to enter the country – when in fact he had not.

Ms Allan said: ‘It is the Commonwealth government … that’s responsible for issuing visas and how they engage in that dialogue with bodies like Tennis Australia is a matter for them.’ 

Exemptions to play in the Australian Open are ‘very much separate from the visa process,’ Allan added. 

On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed Djokovic’s visa had been cancelled because he ‘didn’t meet the requirements of entry’.

Jelena asked for ‘love and respect’ in message posted alongside a photo of the couple to the social media on Friday (pictured)

He’s currently being housed in a Melbourne immigration detention hotel alongside refugees, but Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews insists he is ‘free to leave’ if he so chooses.

‘Mr Djokovic is not being held captive in Australia, he is free to leave at any time that he chooses to do so and Border Force will actually facilitate that,’ she said.

Djokovic’s own father insists he’s being ‘kept in captivity… to stomp all over Serbia and Serbian people’.

He had reportedly received a medical exemption from Tennis Australia and the Victorian Government to enter Australia, but upon further questioning from border force it was determined he did not satisfy the conditions.

Djokovic’s legal team took the matter to the Federal Court of Australia in an attempt to have the decision swiftly overturned.

On Thursday, the court ordered Djokovic could remain in the country until at least Monday 4pm. It’s hoped the matter will be settled in court that day.

Tennis Australia have indicated they want a decision as to whether Djokovic can play in the Grand Slam no later than Tuesday ‘for scheduling purposes’.