Novak Djokovic was finally cleared to play in Australia after he was famously deported in January for not being vaccinated. Initially, Novak received a three-year ban. However, in November, the visa ban was lifted by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, whose government took office in May. Djokovic expressed his happiness at the development.
On his return, he and Vasek Pospisil of Canada were defeated by Tomislav Brkic and Gonzalo Escobar, losing 4-6, 6-3, and 10-5.
There were some doubts about the reception Djokovic would have faced. Fortunately, the crowd was extremely happy to see him. Fans cheered and chanted “Novak, Novak” as the 21-time Grand Slam champion entered the court, and continued to do so throughout the entire match.
After the loss, the 35-year-old, who is currently ranked fifth in the world, stayed behind to meet with fans and sign autographs. As part of his preparation for the Australian Open, the first major of the year, which begins on January 16, he is the top seed in the singles event in Adelaide and will play Frenchman Constant Lestienne in the first round on Tuesday.
With nine victories in Melbourne, Djokovic is one Grand Slam victory away from Rafael Nadal’s men’s record of 22 victories.
Things you love to see 😍@DjokerNole on a tennis court 👋 pic.twitter.com/qukEwfGsu4
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 2, 2023
Following his loss in doubles, #Djokovic took his time with the fans. pic.twitter.com/lIetlHpMr1
— Saša Ozmo (@ozmo_sasa) January 2, 2023
Novak Djokovic in 2023
LWWWLWLWWW Now ranked no.5, Djokovic played his last match on the 20th of November 2022 when he beat world no.3 Casper Ruud 7-5 6-3 in the final in the Nitto ATP Finals to win his 0th challenger.
This year Djokovic owns a composed 42-7 win-loss record.
Djokovic will play next at the Australian Open (Australian Open). He will start to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 16th of January.
Novak Djokovic |
| Embed from Getty Images |
