Back at the Australian Open – Djokovic’s haywire in “Down Under” – Sport

Novak Djokovic will be back in his favorite tournament in 2023. The “Happy Slam” not only shaped him because of last year’s hiccups.

The thesis that no male player has caused as much of a sensation at the Australian Open as Novak Djokovic is not daring. The Serb is the record holder with 9 titles. In Melbourne in 2008 he won a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. 20 more have been added so far.

But the strong sporting record was pushed into the background by the turbulence surrounding his vaccination status last year. Djokovic was first granted an exemption from the tournament, despite not having been vaccinated against Covid-19. However, the Australian immigration authorities vetoed and canceled the tennis star’s visa.

Almost endless saga

Over the next two weeks, Djokovic stayed in a deportation hotel, a collective outcry from fans and family in Serbia, numerous requests to speak from other players, legal disputes and finally the final decision: Djokovic had to leave the country one day before the start of the tournament and was also given a three-year entry ban.

This was lifted in November by the new Australian Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, who issued Djokovic with a visa. The reason: the Covid regulations in Australia, like almost everywhere else in the world, have now been drastically adjusted. Proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter the country.

Eligible to play even with a positive test

If you consider how the Australian Open are also changing their corona policy for the 2023 event, what happened a year ago seems almost melodramatic. Players are now allowed to compete with Covid – provided they feel physically fit enough to play their matches.

It is no longer necessary to report a positive corona test to the organizers of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, tournament director Craig Tiley told the newspaper The Age.

Tiley also issued a special measure for the 2023 edition: fans who would boo Djokovic could be expelled from the facility, the warning said.

Ready for big things

In Adelaide, where Djokovic won a well-attended preparatory tournament, the Australian audience did not react negatively to the number 5 in the world either. The same applied to a show match against Nick Kyrgios on Friday. The tickets for the game were sold out within a short time.

A year ago, Djokovic was still a red rag for many Australians – he was accused of using his status as a professional athlete for an extra sausage in terms of Corona.

Absolute favorite – if the thigh joins in

Djokovic would probably win back the favor of the fans a little more with his 10th triumph at Melbourne Park. With 22 Grand Slam titles, he would then be a new record holder together with Rafael Nadal.

However, there is a question mark behind his current health: On Wednesday, the Serb stopped a training game against Daniil Medvedev because of pain in his left thigh. “I had problems with him in Adelaide last week,” said Djokovic.

The hope remains that it was just a precautionary measure by the 35-year-old. His form would fit: since his Wimbledon victory last summer he has won 4 more tournaments and only lost 2 games. On Tuesday he starts the tournament against Roberto Carballes Baena (ATP 75).