Novak Djokovic disembarked two days ago in Australia, the country that refused him entry earlier this year. These events still impress the 21-time Grand Slam winner.
A year ago, a tennis soap opera of unprecedented scope took place. Djokovic was denied entry into the country on the eve of the Australian Open because he did not have a coronavirus vaccination. The Serb flew there anyway, he ended up in a legal tug of war, spent some time in a detention center and eventually went home empty handed.
Barely a year later, the world looks different and Djokovic is back on Australian soil, this time on an entry visa. “You can’t forget events like that,” the 35-year-old tennis legend recalls that time from Adelaide on Thursday. “It’s one of those things that you carry with you forever.”
“It was something I’ve never experienced and I don’t hope to experience again,” continues Djokovic, who will participate in a preparation tournament for the first Grand Slam of the year in Adelaide from 1 January. “But it was a valuable life experience for me.”
“What happened twelve months ago was hard to digest at first. But at the same time I had to move forward. The events do not detract from what I have experienced sportingly in Melbourne in my career. So I have come here with a positive feeling. “
After the Adelaide tournament, Djokovic will travel to Melbourne, where the Australian Open will kick off on Monday 16 January. The Serbian has already won the Grand Slam tournament nine times.
