Novak Djokovic received a positive welcome back to Australia as he made a rare doubles appearance at the Adelaide International. Due to his lack of the Covid-19 vaccine, the Serb was deported before the Australian Open in 2022. In November, Djokovic’s visa ban was lifted, enabling him to enter the nation.
The crowd cheered and chanted “Novak, Novak” when he entered the court
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. The crowd cheered and chanted “Novak, Novak” when 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 presently 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.
Djokovic was detained by the Australian Border Force on entering the country and was forced to stay at an immigration hotel in 2022
When Djokovic came to Australia in January of last year for the 2022 event, Covid-19 cases were rapidly increasing and government regulations demanded that everyone entering the country be immunized, unless they had a legitimate medical exemption. Djokovic, who was detained by the Australian Border Force on entering the country and forced to stay at an immigration hotel, claimed he had obtained a medical exemption to defend his title without being vaccinated because he had recently recovered from COVID-19.
After 10 days of court proceedings, the government decided he did not match the entrance requirements, canceling his visa and consequently barring him from visiting Australia until 2025. As the tournament approached, Djokovic’s incarceration dominated the news, with demonstrators assembling outside his hotel to support and oppose his eventual deportation. In November, the visa prohibition was lifted by Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, whose government took office in May. Djokovic expressed his happiness at the development.
