(Reuters) – Novak Djokovic said everything about his return to Australia had been positive so far but the Serb is still unsure about what to expect at the Australian Open in Melbourne later this month.
Djokovic was deported on the eve of the Melbourne Park Grand Slam last year for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 and slapped with a three-year travel ban for the country.
That ban was waived in November and the 35-year-old has received a warm welcome in Adelaide, where he is preparing for the hardcourt major.
Djokovic was at the centre of a political storm in Melbourne last year after arriving with a medical exemption, and the decision to grant the nine-times champion entry outraged many in Australia as the country battled a surge in infections.
The Serb told reporters he did not have any expectations about Melbourne.
“Now my focus is here, on Adelaide, try to do well in this tournament,” Djokovic told reporters after he outclassed Constant Lestienne in his first singles match since returning.
“Obviously Melbourne, Grand Slam, it’s different … so many players, both on the women and men’s side.
“I’ll be there also a week before my first match, as I normally do, training, getting used to the difference in the conditions and the speed of the court … let’s see. I hope I’ll be received well.”
Djokovic is looking to capture a record-extending 10th Australian Open crown that would bring him level with Rafa Nadal on 22 Grand Slam titles.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
