The king of Melbourne will be able to return to his land: Novak Djokovic confirmed on Wednesday that he had received a visa for Australia, where he could try to win a tenth title in January in the Antipodes Major, a 22nd in a Grand Slam.
“I was very happy to receive the news yesterday (Tuesday). It’s a relief,” said the Serb on the sidelines of the year-end ATP Masters in Turin.
“Having a clear vision now, knowing what I’m going to do in the off-season, that I’m going to start the season in Australia, that too, of course, takes some pressure off me,” added the 36-year-old.
The Australian Open, the next edition of which is scheduled for January 16-29, is “the Grand Slam tournament that suits me best,” said Djokovic, who has won nine of his 21 major titles there to date.
“I have some of my fondest memories there. Obviously I want to go back there, play tennis there, do what I do best there, hoping to have a great Australian summer, ”he salivated in advance.
The last time, for having tried to enter Australian territory not vaccinated against COVID-19 but with an exemption finally refused, he had been expelled at the end of a politico-judicial procedure – after spending several days in a center for migrants — just before the start of the tournament. He had also been struck by a three-year inadmissibility.
But since then, the vaccination obligation has been lifted in Australia and the government has changed: the conservative coalition in power in January has been replaced by a center-left cabinet led by Labor Anthony Albanese.
Negotiations
The question of the vaccine being raised remained that of inadmissibility, at the discretion of the government. And negotiations took place.
Djokovic said on Monday that his lawyers were “discussing with the Australian government”, but he added that he could not say anything more “for the moment”, being “pending”.
Australian Open director Craig Tiley had called on the two sides to reach an agreement, but chafed by the events of January he had assured that he would follow “all instructions” from the government.
And on Tuesday, the Australian media announced that the national authorities had decided to grant a visa to the former world number 1, which the player confirmed on Wednesday.
So to celebrate, he qualified for the semi-finals of the Masters in Turin by sweeping the Russian Andrey Rublev (6-4, 6-1).
Because despite what he, “(his) family and the people who (him) are closest to have gone through this year following the events in Australia and those that followed”, the Serb joined the tournament at the end of year bringing together the eight best players of the season.
” Improve myself “
A truncated season for him where he was unable to defend his title in Melbourne or play the North American tournaments where the anti-Covid vaccine was compulsory, in particular the US Open, while Rafael Nadal, winner in Australia and at Roland -Garros, brought to 22 the number of his Grand Slam titles. Unprecedented in men’s tennis.
But since he resumed competition, the Serb is almost unbeatable.
He chained titles in Tel Aviv and Astana, before a surprise defeat in the final of the Masters 1000 in Paris against the young Dane Holger Rune. In Turin, where he is aiming for a sixth victory to equal Roger Federer’s record, he beat his first two opponents (Tsitsipas and Rublev) in straight sets and playing at a very high level.
“The advantage of not playing a lot of tournaments is that we are fresher. But being able to play as well as what I’ve been playing for the past few months thrills me. I worked a lot to get there because I had more time to train, more time with my coach and with my team on and off the court, trying to perfect myself. He underlines.
Understand that in January, the players who will be on his way to Melbourne will have a lot to do.