Rivals come out swinging in midst of Novak Djokovic's border scandal

After tennis star Novak Djokovic was detained by the Australian Border Force, former opponents and current rivals have weighed in on the off-court scandal and his controversial past.

In Australia's tennis circle, Sam Groth is one of a few to speak out and he's taken aim at his former opponent.

"Some of the ways he goes about things and the views is not what I agree with and not what a large portion of the population agree with," Groth told A Current Affair.

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Djokovic was born into a sporting family in the Serbian capital of Belgrade and became a child prodigy, who by age 20 went on to win his first grand slam.

But for all his physical prowess and the fortune that's followed, when it comes to medicine and science some might call Djokovic's beliefs a little bizarre.

"His views, they're quite contrary and contradictory to a lot of Australians' views," Groth said.

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In 2020, while COVID-19 forced tennis tournaments to be called off, Djokovic was slammed for hosting his own event, which quickly went on to become a super spreader set.

He was spotted partying with little regard for social distancing and ended up with COVID-19 along with his wife Jelena and several other stars.

Australian tennis rival Nick Kyrgios has drawn attention in the past for his feud with the world No.1.

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But today he offered his support with a tweet, sharing his own view on Djokovic's current situation.

"How we are handling Novak's situation is bad, really bad. This is one of our great champions but at the end of the day, he is human. Do better," Kyrgios wrote.

Away from the scandals and ugly on-court spats, the Serbian star is also known for giving back to his fans.

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In 2020 he donated $25,000 to the victims of Australia's devastating bushfires, while his Novak Foundation aims to help children get a better education. 

"It's hard to sometimes look past the bad things or the controversial things that Novak does, to see the good. It's certainly there," Groth said.

While the 20-time grand slam champion thought his next battle would be at the Rod Laver Arena, it's now apparent the fight will be in The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia on Monday with a global audience watching every move.

Overnight in his hometown, supporters took to the streets, including Djokovic's father Srdjan and mother Dijana, who branded him a prisoner.

"Last 24 hours, they are keeping him as a prisoner. It's not fair, it's not human," his mother said.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić took a swipe at her Australian counterpart.

"I think that Novak is treated differently than any other tennis player that travelled to Australia right now and that is what makes us think it's political," she said.

"All of our people stand by Novak and his family."

Djokovic's wife took to social media to thank his supporters, writing: "The only law that we should all respect across every single border is love and respect for another human being."

And back in Melbourne the Serbian army of Djokovic supporters has also grown outside the immigration detention hotel, which is where he will be until Monday, despite his pleas to move into his own rental elsewhere in the city.