A crowd of Novak Djokovic supporters have been pepper-sprayed by police in Melbourne, Australia on Monday night time as they gathered round a automobile they believed was transporting the tennis star.

The world no. 1 emerged victorious earlier within the day, after it was dominated that the Serbian sportsman wouldn't be deported by the Australian authorities over not being vaccinated towards COVID-19.

Djokovic's case has sparked a powerful response within the metropolis—the place Djokovic had traveled to compete within the Australian Open—with one aspect decrying the star's exemption from the nation's strict COVID guidelines, whereas others have supported him.

Video footage shared on Twitter by The Guardian journalist Tumaini Carayol confirmed Djokovic's supporters chanting "Free Nole"—a nickname utilized by followers—as they marched within the central enterprise district, the place his lawyer's workplace is reportedly situated.

The followers, numerous whom have been seen sporting Serbian flags, have been seen surrounding a black Mercedes with blacked-out home windows, which Carayol reported they believed was transporting Djokovic.

In a clip shared by The Age reporter Paul Sakkal, the followers have been proven slowing the automobile's progress as they surrounded it and one man jumped onto the roof.

"Followers have been banging on the window, throwing bottles on the automobile and two individuals have been leaping up and down on prime of it," wrote Sakkal on Twitter.

A video clip shared by Australia's ABC Information confirmed cops trying to maintain the group at bay, earlier than pepper spray was used to disperse the supporters.

Earlier within the day, Decide Anthony Kelly dominated that Djokovic, 34, might stay in Australia and ought to be launched from detention inside half an hour.

The Australian authorities, who the decide dominated ought to pay Djokovic's authorized prices, has warned that the tennis participant might nonetheless face deportation.

Djokovic landed in Melbourne—dubbed the world's most locked-down metropolis for its strict COVID guidelines—on January 6, forward of vying for his twenty first Grand Slam title on the Australian Open, which is scheduled to start on January 17.

The star had initially been deemed besides from Australia's vaccine entry necessities, resulting in an outcry amongst Melbourne residents, who spent 256 days following the emergence of COVID-19 below extreme restrictions.

International vacationers are largely prohibited from coming into Australia, and people who are permitted entry are required be totally vaccinated or have a medical exemption.

Regardless of his preliminary exemption, it was deemed that Djokovic didn't have ample proof of being medically exempt from taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

After being held and interrogated on the airport, he was transferred to an immigration detention facility in Melbourne forward of an anticipated deportation.

Over the weekend, attorneys for Djokovic had argued that the tennis participant was granted a COVID vaccine exemption from Tennis Australia, in addition to the Australian authorities, as a result of as he had some immunity after testing optimistic for the virus in December.

Novak Djokovic
Supporters of tennis star Novak Djokovic (R) have been pepper-sprayed by police in Melbourne, Australia, on Monday night time, as they marched within the metropolis's central enterprise district.Diego Fedele/Getty Photographs;/Twitter