Djokovic to Australia: “I hope for a good welcome”

A little over a year ago Novak Djokovic would have started the most difficult adventure of his career: flying to Australia without a vaccine but with the medical exemption to be cured of the covid. Serious misjudgment that had earned him rejection at the borders, lawsuits, detention in a hotel-prison reserved for irregular immigrants, and finally expulsion from the country obviously without being able to participate in the first Grand Slam of the season.

A year later, with the vaccine obligation lapsed almost everywhere, Nole is ready to take back Australia but above all his public, who have always been among his most loyal: “After what happened last year, I hope to be welcomed properly and I hope this will help me play my best tennis,” said the 21-time Grand Slam champion, now ranked 5 in the world. In Melbourne Nole is aiming for the 10th title and above all to equal Rafa Nadal at 22 Grand Slams: “In the past I have always started my seasons in Australia very well, I like playing there”, said Djokovic harshly criticized by his most loved audience for “endangering” national safety. But now the former number 1 in the world is ready to recover and not only with the people: “I hope to be able to play as long as possible – he declared in Dubai -, but I don’t have a precise number in mind. Things are going pretty good for me so far. I can’t complain. So as long as I play at this level, as long as I have fire, I’ll keep going.” Nole’s fire never goes out.