Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, the current world number five, has returned to Australia on Tuesday, a year after being deported for not being vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Australian media.
Almost 12 months after he was expelled from the country for failing to comply with the health protocols referred to the coronavirus, which required to be vaccinated against the disease to stay in the country, the Serbian has returned to Australian soil to prepare for the Australian Open (January 16-29). Before the ‘Grand Slam’, Djokovic will play a preparation tournament – the Adelaide International ATP 250 – starting this Sunday, as reported by ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’.
Also on Tuesday, the director of the Australian Open, Craig Tiley, wished in a press conference that the fans receive the Serbian tennis player properly after all the controversy at the beginning of last season. «I have a lot of confidence in the Australian public, that they will respect him. He is very well educated, particularly those who come to tennis, they love his tennis, they love to see greatness, they love to see great matches,» he said.
Djokovic, who has lifted the trophy in Australia nine times, is aiming to win his tenth title in Melbourne, thus equaling Spain’s Rafa Nadal, currently the male tennis player with the most ‘Grand Slam’ titles (22).
The 35-year-old player was banned in early 2022 after entering Australia without having been vaccinated against the coronavirus. He applied for an exemption for being a top-level athlete, but the Australian government considered that he could generate a risk to public health and deported him. For the 2023 edition, the authorities have removed the obligation to vaccinate travelers, and Djokovic was also released from the automatic three-year ban on entering the country.
SOURCE: (EUROPA PRESS)
