This is how the hours go by for Djokovic in Melbourne 2:05
(CNN) -
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has criticized the "very bad" treatment Novak Djokovic receives in what has been a saga of the world's No. 1 visa.
Djokovic has been transferred to Melbourne's Park Hotel, a detention center for refugees and asylum seekers, after his visa to enter Australia was blocked, according to CNN affiliates Seven Network and Nine News.
The Novak Djokovic case in Australia: how did we get to this controversy?
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this week that Djokovic, who has not publicly disclosed his vaccination status, "did not have a valid medical exemption" to the vaccination requirement for arrivals in Australia.
"Look, I definitely believe in taking action, I got vaccinated for others and for my mom's health, but how we're handling Novak's situation is bad, really bad," Kyrgios wrote on Twitter on Friday.
"Like these memes, headlines, this is one of our great champions but at the end of the day, he's human. Make it better."
Kyrgios, world number 93, has never been shy about speaking his mind, he has previously been critical of Djokovic's behavior during the pandemic, especially during the ill-fated 2020 Adria Tour event, in which several players, including Djokovic, tested positive for covid-19.
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In November, Kyrgios said he did not believe that anyone should be forced to get vaccinated, but then added that it would not be "morally correct to accept non-vaccinated players from abroad into Australia."
Djokovic, currently tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for 20 individual Grand Slam titles and hoping to win his 10th Australian Open title in Melbourne, also received support from teammate John Isner as the visa debacle continues.
"What Novak is going through right now is not right," Isner wrote on Twitter.
"There is no justification for the treatment he is receiving. He followed the rules, he was allowed to enter Australia, and now he is being detained against his own will. This is a disgrace."
Nadal, for his part, was less sympathetic to Djokovic: "He made his own decisions, and everyone is free to make their own decisions, but then there are some consequences," the Spaniard told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
"Of course, I don't like the situation that is happening. In a way, I feel sorry for him. But at the same time, he knew the conditions for many months, so he makes his own decision."
Nadal throws a dart on the Djokovic case 0:49
Djokovic's legal team has requested an urgent injunction against the decision to revoke his visa while he is still being held in Melbourne.
The country's Federal Court has postponed until Monday a decision on whether he will be allowed to stay in Australia or be deported, according to Reuters and the public broadcaster ABC.
On Friday, Australian Home Secretary Karen Andrews said Djokovic "is not held captive" in the country.
"You are free to come out anytime you decide to do so, and the Border Force will facilitate that," Andrews told ABC.
"It is the responsibility of the individual traveler to ensure that they have all the necessary documentation to enter Australia."
Andrews' comments came after Djokovic's relatives in their country, Serbia, protested against the actions of the Australian authorities.
"They are holding him captive. Our Novak, our pride. Novak is Serbia, and Serbia is Novak," Djokovic's father Srdjan said Thursday.
"They trample Novak, and thus they trample Serbia and the Serbian people ... They wanted to underestimate him, bring him to his knees, and not only him, but also our country, our beautiful Serbia."
"We are Serbs, proud Europeans, civilized people. We never attack anyone, we just defend ourselves."
Djokovic's wife, Jelena, took a gentler approach when speaking publicly about the situation for the first time on social media: "I am taking deep breaths to calm myself and find gratitude (and understanding) right now for everything that is going on." wrote on Instagram.
"The only law that we should all respect across every border is love and respect for another human being."
Shortly after midnight on Saturday in Melbourne, Djokovic himself posted on Instagram: "Thank you to people around the world for your continued support. I can feel it and it is greatly appreciated."
CNN's Sophie Jeong, Niamh Kennedy, AnneClaire Stapleton and Jessie Yeung contributed reporting.
Novak Djokovic