Novak Djokovic back Down Under to reclaim his crown after deportation drama

Novak Djokovic back Down Under to reclaim his crown after deportation drama

21-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic has landed in Australia to begin his preparations for the upcoming Australian Open. The Serb has been granted a visa by the country after the drama caused by his unvaccinated status at the last edition of the tournament led to him being detained and then deported. Djokovic also had his three-year ban overturned by the Australian government last month, which cleared the path for his pursuit of the 10th Australian Open title of his career.

Australia was operating under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world when news emerged of the unvaccinated Djokovic being granted a medical exemption to participate in the 2022 Australian Open. This led to public outrage and put the government on the back foot. Upon landing in Australia, Djokovic was denied entry by border officials and had his visa revoked, leading to detainment at a hotel.

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He won a legal battle against the government to reinstate his visa, but it was canceled again after four days, on the basis that Djokovic’s presence could inspire “anti-vax sentiment.” His actions since his release from detention, which included a photo shoot while having COVID, were under the scanner too. This time, the popular personality chose not to get embroiled in another legal battle.

He returned to Serbia via Dubai, as Rafael Nadal took home the Slam at the Rod Laver Arena. In the months since, Australia’s COVID-related border restrictions have ended, with vaccination, not a necessity to enter the country anymore. This led to Djokovic being granted a visa to participate in the Australian Open in January, as confirmed by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles in November.

With that being said, Djokovic will be hungry to take back the crown from his Spanish rival as he begins preparations at the Adelaide Open, starting from January 1st. The warm-up tournament features many of the top 20 ATP rank holders and will be the perfect preparation for the most successful Australian Open Men’s player.

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Novak Djokovic’s quest to be Number 1

Novak Djokovic with Casper Ruud (Image Source: Profimedia)
Novak Djokovic with Casper Ruud

Djokovic has been one of the most successful tennis players of all time, spending a record 373 weeks at the Number 1 spot on the ATP rankings. He has finished the year at the top of the rankings a record 7 times. His decision not to participate in tournaments with strict vaccination rules hurt his position in 2022, as he finished the year in 5th place.

With 0 points to defend due to his non-participation in the 2022 edition, Djokovic is bound to move up the rankings table with a good performance at the Australian Open. The current Wimbledon holder will be looking to get ahead of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz, to secure his beloved number 1 ranking.

Having won the last three times he participated, Djokovic will be looking to add to his tally of 9 Australian Open trophies. The current Wimbledon holder has often expressed his love for the atmosphere in Australia and will be relishing the opportunity to entertain the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena for the first time since 2021.

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