Novak Djokovic‘s status as one of this century’s greatest athletes is undisputed – not a description that could ever be applied to his views on health matters.
The fanatical quest to continually improve himself as a tennis player is mirrored by an obsessive curiosity about how best to curate his physical and mental well-being. At times it has dragged him into the realms of faddism and quackery, sometimes dangerously so.
Indirectly, this endless search led him to the immigration detention room at Melbourne‘s Tullamarine Airport, where Wednesday’s surreal drama played out.
For now he will remain locked up in a refugee detention hotel after the Federal Court ruled his appeal to be let into the country ahead of the Australian Open would be adjourned until Monday.
Lawyers on Thursday appearing for the world No 1 appealed to Judge Anthony Kelly to review the decision made by the Department of Home Affairs to deport him.
It’s just the latest controversial episode in the life of the 34-year-old tennis star, who two years ago took part in a live Facebook discussion with other Serbian sportspeople in which he denounced vaccines.
‘Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,’ he said. ‘But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision.’
Among Djokovic’s unusual beliefs are that ‘Bosnian pyramids’ near Sarajevo give off a mystical energy, while positive thoughts can purify water.
And just like her husband, Jelena, 35, has a series of unusual beliefs – and is no stranger to controversy after she shared conspiracy theories online with her thousands of Instagram followers.
In April 2020, Instagram posted a ‘false information’ tag on her stories after she shared a conspiracy video about 5G causing coronavirus.
The mother-of-two, who met her husband when they were teenagers, describes herself as ‘open-minded’ with a ‘never satiating hunger for knowledge’ on her blog.
Novak Djokovic ‘s quest to continually improve himself as a tennis player is mirrored by an obsessive curiosity about how best to curate his physical and mental well-being (pictured)
While Djokovic faces a weekend locked up in a refugee detention hotel in Melbourne, his wife Jelena has stayed at home in Monte Carlo with their two children Tara, two, and Stefan, five
Tree-hugging Novak and his wife Jelena both have an obsessive curiosity about how best to curate their physical and mental well-being – with her sharing conspiracy theories online (pictured left and right)
Jelena’s blog features posts about how she learned to mediate in Ecuador, links to controversial vegan documentary Cowspiracy and shares tips on ‘how to find your true self’ (pictured with Novak)
Writing online, Jelena explained: ‘I am changing and transforming at such a pace that it is really hard to label me or put me in one definite box. I am everywhere and NOWhere. Misunderstood and fully appreciated.’
‘All of my research revolves around finding the answer on this simple question “How to live a healthy life with purpose?” I look for answers in different books on psychology, self-help, business, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and nutrition. I will share my findings and takeaways, as I have learned by now that the best way to memorize the new things we find is to write them down.
‘The beauty of being a seeker of knowledge is that you can take any path you’d like. There is no right or wrong, there is just a process of learning and shaping and growing. It can take you anywhere. As my blog grows, we will see where this path will take me and I’ll do my best to share with you what I learn so that we may both grow together’.
Her blog features posts about how she learned to mediate in Ecuador, links to controversial vegan documentary Cowspiracy and shares tips on ‘how to find your true self’
The mother-of-two, and childhood sweetheart of Novak, often shares snaps of the couple exploring nature (pictured) with her Instagram followers
Soon after the pandemic broke out, Novak took part in a live Facebook discussion with other Serbian sportspeople in which he said he is ‘opposed to vaccinations’
From running a charity foundation to sharing conspiracy theories online: The world of Novak’s VERY wacky wife
In the early days of her relationship with Novak, Jelena was a successful model, starring in several high profile campaigns
The childhood sweethearts married in July 2014 in the grounds of Montenegro’s exclusive Aman Sveti Stefan resort.
Jelena, who was pregnant at the time with the couple’s first child, wore a dressed designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
In the early days of her relationship with Novak, Jelena was a successful model, starring in several high profile campaigns.
But Jelena is just as much brains as beauty – she graduated from university in Milan with a Masters degree and is now working the director’s of the Novak Foundation, which invests in pre-school education in Serbia.
Jelena helps to run the Novak Djokovic Foundation, which raises money for childhood education and inclusive early education programmes for children disadvantaged communities.
She’s also often spotted courtside, and struggles to keep a poker face.
She regularly appear on the brink of tears or reacts angrily to the decisions made by the umpire.
Jelena once said of her inability to control her emotions during competitions: ‘You can get very passionate when watching your boyfriend from the players’ box.
‘We just want them to be happy. You don’t want to see them in pain. If they are not happy, neither are you.’
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But these ‘knowledge’ she’s seeks (and shares) sometimes has little ground in reality.
In April 2020, Instagram posted a ‘false information’ tag on her stories after she shared a conspiracy video about 5G causing coronavirus.
The mother-of-two, and childhood sweetheart of Novak, posted a 10-minute video of US-based Dr Thomas Cowan which falsely explained that 5G played a role in creating the coronavirus pandemic.
She was heavily criticised for spreading ‘fake news’ given her platform to reach almost half a million people through Instagram.
Instagram made the decision to step in through what they call ‘independent fact checkers’ and the video is now covered by a ‘False Information’ screen whenever anyone visits her profile.
She later clarified her position in a statement, insisting that she has taken an interest in the field, rather than explicitly endorsed the theory at this point as she is ‘not claiming to be true or not’.
‘I shared the video a few days ago for one reason only – it mentions the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, which is relevant to my area of interest and business, and hence my interest in this video was larger than the sea of other content I get,’ the statement, shared by EssentiallySports, read.
‘Specifically, Steiner schools and kindergartens are located in 76 countries (Waldorf schools) and for some time I have been meeting with their work and studying the curriculum. Steiner’s philosophy and work on biodynamic agriculture have encouraged me to learn more, which I have devoted myself to in recent months.
‘So, it makes sense to me, I’m not claiming to be true or not, but I’m certainly interested in learning and getting informed about it.’
Novak’s latest episode stems back 36 hours to his triumphant-sounding announcement that he had circumvented vaccine requirements for an undisclosed reason, and was heading for Australia.
The cocksure nature of his social media post was ill-judged, and invited the ire of a population who have been subjected to more lockdowns than anywhere in the world. He possesses not just an extraordinary athletic ability, but a giant pair of tin ears.
This brutal collision with public opinion – not to mention opportunistic Australian politicians – has been a long time coming, a course plotted since the onset of the pandemic.
The roots of his beliefs on health are entrenched beyond Covid, back to the beginning of the last decade. It was then that he diagnosed himself as having a wheat allergy by pressing a slice of bread into his stomach.
Always a profound thinker with a sharp mind – he has taught himself to converse in seven languages, for example – the more success he has had, the more interested he has become in the workings of body and spirit.
Jelena has been heavily criticised for spreading ‘fake news’ given her platform to reach almost half a million people through Instagram
Novak was told he would not be granted entry into Australia on Wednesday after the government rejected his visa, as it did not support vaccine exemption on medical grounds
Djokovic took to social media earlier in the week to reveal he had got a medical exemption
In 2016 he began working with Spanish coach Pepe Imaz, a strong believer in meditation whose theories extend to, literally, the power of hugging trees.
He instituted the ‘peace and love’ gestures that accompany the Serb’s post-match victories.
When Djokovic began developing elbow problems the following year he tried holistic cures before eventually opting for conventional surgery.
He later revealed that he cried for three days afterwards, at his failure to solve the issue through natural medicine.
By then he was already a strong believer in using hyperbaric chambers – where his body is exposed to pure oxygen at a much higher pressure than normal – actually bringing a mobile version on a lorry to be parked up at Flushing Meadows for the US Open.
It is just the latest controversial episode involving Djokovic and his wife Jelena (right)
Djokovic, who was all smiles when he landed in Australia on Wednesday, is obsessed with holistic cures and once revealed he cried for three days after he had conventional surgery
Djokovic thinks the ‘Bosnian pyramids’ near Sarajevo give off a mystical energy; here Semir Osmanagic, an archaeologist famous for his unorthodox theories on them, stands near one
It was not until the virus stopped the world in its tracks that the full extent of his left-field views became more evident.
After his Facebook exchange – which earned him a public rebuke from one of Serbia’s leading epidemiologists – he participated in live Instagram feeds with his friend, self-styled health entrepreneur Chervin Jafarieh.
At one point they promoted the idea that the power of positive thought could cleanse polluted water into the kind that was safely drinkable.
And then came his organisation of the ill-fated Adria Tour, a series of exhibitions around the Balkans which stuck two fingers up at any Covid restrictions. Amid nightclub carousing and close quarters games of basketball many of its participants – including Djokovic and his wife – tested positive for the virus.
Jelena was given a ‘false information’ label by Instagram last year after sharing a conspiracy theory that 5G has helped cause coronavirus
Djokovic’s online chats with Chevrin Jafarieh (bottom) became notorious in the pandemic
The experience chastened him, but it has not dampened his enthusiasm for spiritual searching. He is, for instance, a regular visitor to the ‘Bosnian pyramids’ which some believe give off a mystic energy.
These are a set of pointed hills which a local archaeologist claims are man-made, an idea condemned as a complete hoax by other experts.
Now his unorthodox approach may see his best chance of edging beyond his rivals in the chase for Grand Slams at least severely dented.
Level on 20 Major titles with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, he should already be in the lead, and to many neutrals is already the greatest men’s player ever.
He would almost certainly be on 21 had he not lashed away a ball in anger at a line judge in the 2020 US Open fourth round, and been defaulted.
However this latest turbulence plays out, it comes when he is turning 35 in May, and at a time when the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Alex Zverev are proving themselves to be genuine threats to his hegemony on the court.
The Serbian (far right) hosted the ill-fated Adria Tour event in the middle of the pandemic – and it had to be ended prematurely after a number of the players contracted the virus
Djokovic (left centre) and fellow tennis stars partied in a Belgrade nightclub in June 2020, with some of the players taking their shirts off during the riotous evening
Away from the sport’s rectangles many have already condemned him, although his views on vaccines are more nuanced than sometimes portrayed.
At the ATP Tour event in Belgrade earlier this year, which he and his family own, he arranged for those who wanted the jab to be able to get it on site.
It should also be said that no athlete is recorded as having given more to charity through the pandemic than he has done.
There is also his work in trying to drive through a tennis players’ union at no gain to himself, being as wealthy as he is.
He has always insisted that his vaccine stance is about freedom of choice and what someone puts inside their body.
Given the opportunity he has missed out on in Melbourne, his continuing stance could be seen as one of principled self-denial, as well as self-defeating.
One group who will always support him, if he ever returns, is the large Serbian population of Victoria.
A few of them have been known to attend the Australian Open wearing T-shirts bearing a slogan that has never seemed more appropriate: ‘Novak Against The World.’
Djokovic lashed away a ball in anger at a line judge in the 2020 US Open fourth round
After hitting line judge Laura Clark in the throat, the world No 1 was disqualified from the event
Novak Djokovic to be left in deportation limbo ALL WEEKEND in a refugee detention hotel as court battle is adjourned until Monday – and doubts swirl over his vaccine exemption to play Down Under
Novak Djokovic will remain locked up in a refugee detention hotel after the Federal Court ruled his appeal to be let into the country ahead of the Australian Open would be adjourned until Monday.
Lawyers on Thursday appearing for the world No.1 appealed to Judge Anthony Kelly to review the decision made by the Department of Home Affairs to deport him.
The Serbian Covid vaccine critic had posted on social media before departure that he was heading Down Under with a medical ‘exemption’ but upon arrival at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday night, he was denied entry and detained by Border Force agents.
Scott Morrison accused the tennis great of trying to ‘run the border’, telling reporters that such an exemption was not in place.
The moment before Djokovic was whisked away by security staff and border officials for ‘not satisfying’ entry requirements was captured when the 20-time Grand Slam winner stepped off his flight and stood before the Border Force check-in counter sporting a face mask.
It comes amid reports Tennis Australia granted medical exemptions to two other individuals who don’t meet the requirements – both of them are now subjects of Border Force investigations.
Djokovic’s barrister Nick Wood SC told the court on Thursday he was determined to find a way for his client to play in the Australian Open on January 17, and the visa issue is what is standing in his way.
‘The absence of a visa, if the cancellation decision is valid, is an insuperable obstacle to Mr Djokovic competing in the tournament,’ Mr Wood said.
Judge Kelly said he was prepared to sit late on the case to reach an outcome, and asked if the tennis star had a court to train on in the hotel he is being detained.
It appears likely Djokovic will not be expected to return home tonight after all, as Christopher Tran, who is representing the government, said he does not consider it ‘in the interests of justice’ to make a hasty decision this evening.
Moments before Novak Djokovic was taken away to a detention hotel he was pictured at the Border Force check in counter
Novak Djokovic arrives at Adelaide Airport on January 14, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia
The court also heard Tennis Australia wants a ‘definitive answer’ about whether Djokovic will be able to play by Tuesday for scheduling requirement ahead of the Melbourne Grand Slam which commences January 17.
‘The tail won’t be wagging the dog here, Mr Wood,’ Judge Kelly responded.
‘If Tennis Australia decides to do what it wants to do in running its enterprise, it will.’
Australian Border Force officials are now investigating their cases, ABC Defence Correspondent reported.
The process of rushing a dispute of this nature through the Federal Court is understood to be costly.
One immigration lawyer said it highlighted Djokovic’s privilege and status that the matter was dealt with so quickly.
‘It’s only people with money and a high profile that can afford these very quick legal proceedings… They’re not easily accessible,’ the source said.
Tass Liveris, the president of the Law Council of Australia, told Daily Mail Australia it is ‘critical visa applicants are given an opportunity to have their decision reviewed’.
‘These decisions will almost always have a profound impact on the lives of individuals and their families.’
Mr Liveris said administrative and judicial review processes – like the one Djokovic’s lawyers have applied for in this instance – are fundamental to ensuring visa decisions are correct and just.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said the Serbian star’s claim he received a special medical exemption to fly in to Australia and defend his title was false.
‘I am advised that such an exemption was not in place, and as a result he is subject to the same rule as anyone else,’ Mr Morrison said.
‘People try to run the border all the time. People come with a visa that may not satisfy other requirements for entry – and they are put back on planes and turned back all the time.’
The federal government later explained the visa approval is an automated process – it is up to an individual to prove their vaccination status or valid exemption on arrival.
Djokovic’s initial statement sparked widespread outrage given his refusal to confirm his vaccination status.
Novak Djokovic (pictured in Adelaide while quarantining for the 2021 Australian Open) may have a hard time having the decision to cancel his visa overturned ahead of the start of the Australian Open in two weeks – amid calls for him to explain his reasons for his vaccination exemption
While he does not legally have to share the grounds of his alleged medical exemption, it’s understood doing so may have helped his case when entering Australia.
Medical exemptions are being approved by border force officers ‘regularly’, one source explained, adding it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume Djokovic met the criteria to qualify for a valid exemption.
But they said if he then refused to release the grounds of said exemption – particularly to officials at the border – ‘therein lies the problem’.
Upon touching down in Melbourne about 11.30pm on Wednesday, the outspoken vaccine critic was whisked away and interrogated by immigration officials.
By Thursday morning, Australian border force officials confirmed his visa had been cancelled.
Initial reports suggested the visa he was granted did not allow medical exemptions for the unvaccinated, but Mr Morrison later confirmed that regardless, no exemption was in place.
Djokovic’s exemption to play the Australian Open while unvaccinated was reportedly awarded because he has already been struck down Covid.
But that policy usually only applies to people who had been infected in the last six months. Djokovic contracted Covid in June 2020 shortly after he hosted a number of players in an exhibition tournament in south-east Europe.
Immediately, Djokovic’s team indicated they would fight the decision in court.
A letter sent from the Department of Health to Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley warns past diagnosis of Covid is not a valid exemption
Djokovic’s exemption to play the Australian Open while unvaccinated was reportedly awarded because he has already been struck down Covid
