"Thank you for speaking about us and trying to find a way to help us" - Novak Djokovic hailed as hero by Iranian refugee detained in Australia for more than 9 years

Mehdi Ali, who has been detained by the Australian Border Force for more than nine years, hailed Novak Djokovic for championing the cause of immigrants who are living in deplorable conditions all over the world.

Fearing religious persecution, Ali fled Iran when he was only 15 years old and reached Australia, following which he was locked up in the Park Hotel by the border patrol. Djokovic was detained at the same hotel last month after his visa was rejected for non-compliance with Australia's vaccination requirements.

The Serb was eventually deported from the country after a legal battle and, as a result, failed to defend his title at the 2022 Australian Open. Having seen firsthand how bad the circumstances under which the detainees are held, the 34-year-old has taken on the mantle of a human rights activist.

Speaking in a recent interview with Serbian media outlet RTS, the 20-time Grand Slam champion revealed that he suffered a lot during his time in detention. But instead of focussing on himself, he made use of the opportunity to draw attention to the countless others who have endured the same hardship for years on end.

"I wouldn't talk too much about [my detention in Australia]. The conditions were tough, of course. I've never experienced anything like it in my life and career. But that was the situation and I had to accept it," Djokovic said. "I'd like to talk [instead] about the people who have been detained there much longer than I was, some as long as nine years."

Djokovic was saddened by the fact that he could not meet with others in the hotel, since the detainees were not allowed to contact other inmates.The World No. 1 further declared that he was going to find a way to help them no matter what.

"The seven days I spent there were nothing compared to their nine years of detainment. I wish I was able to meet with them, but all of us who were detained in the hotel were prohibited from leaving our rooms," he said. "They are having a really hard time, just like other people all over the world who are in the same situation. I'll try to find a way to help them. The situation is far from simple."

Mehdi Ali took to Twitter on Saturday to share a heartfelt message of thanks to the Serb for speaking up about the issue.

"Thank you [Novak Djokovic] for speaking about us and trying to find a way to help us and others who are suffering," Ali tweeted.

"We shouldn't allow so many people in the 21st century to lack essential amenities, rights and freedom" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic was in disbelief that detainees continue to be treated badly even in the 21st century

Novak Djokovic made it clear over the course of the interview that he did not want to comment on the morality of Australia's immigration laws. But having grown up in Serbia when millions of desolate refugees entered the country following the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo war, he could not turn a blind eye to the situation at hand.

"I'm a professional athlete, a tennis player. It's not my place to comment on the politics of any country, or say if something is right or wrong," Djokovic said. "However, I myself grew up here in the 1990s, where many people, many refugees came in who had lost their homes and did not have food on their table, or even drinkable water."

The World No. 1 was shocked that such a problem could exist in this day and age, and argued passionately that every human being deserved to have "basic human rights" irrespective of how they entered a country.

"This is a global problem. I hope that all of us can find a better solution because they are human beings who deserve a roof over their heads and basic human rights," he said. "It's something that should never happen. We shouldn't allow so many people in the 21st century to lack essential amenities, rights and freedom."