Tennis: 2022 deportation drama paved way to success, says Djokovic

MELBOURNE – Novak Djokovic said his

controversial deportation ahead of the 2022 Australian Open

proved an unlikely catalyst for success last year, allowing him to regroup on the practice court before bouncing back with key titles.

The Serb trained hard in the months after he was deported and while barred from competing in the United States for not being vaccinated against Covid-19.

He later won his

seventh Wimbledon crown

and capped a year of disruption by

winning the ATP Tour Finals

for a sixth time in Turin.

Back at Melbourne Park

after his visa ban was lifted

by the Australian government, Djokovic said missing events due to his vaccination stance had renewed his determination on the training court.

“Yes, absolutely. I mean, you normally, as a professional tennis player on the highest level, don’t have much time to really have a longer training block,” Djokovic said on Saturday.

“The fact that I wasn’t playing for several months beginning of last year allowed me to really get together with my team and work on my body, on my strokes, which has later helped me to achieve some great results.”

Djokovic, who will bid for a record-extending 10th Australian Open crown, said he had to move on from the events of 2022, adding that “the amount of positive experiences I had in Australia overwhelm the negative experience maybe of last year”.

The 35-year-old said he was still cautious about a hamstring strain he picked up in Adelaide and was training lighter than usual to conserve his energy.

There was no holding back on his motivation for another title, though, and draw level with Rafael Nadal with a 22nd Major title.

The Spanish great is the top seed and defending champion after making the most of Djokovic’s absence to beat Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller.

But Nadal, 36, is struggling for form and lost his two opening matches this season at the United Cup. He meets

Britain’s unseeded Jack Draper in the first round on Monday,

while fourth seed Djokovic opens his tournament against unseeded Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena on Tuesday.

Djokovic said he felt like “the villain of the world” a year ago in Melbourne where he was detained at a hotel with asylum-seekers before being deported.

However, he was warmly received by a packed crowd at Rod Laver Arena on Friday night during a practice match against home hero Nick Kyrgios.

Kyrgios will be the top drawcard for home fans at Melbourne Park, feeling both privilege and pressure to meet expectations after his best season in 2022.

After an underwhelming career at the Grand Slams, the fiery Canberra native made the final at Wimbledon and the US Open quarter-finals to win over detractors who had labelled him a wasted talent.

With Ashleigh Barty retired after ending Australia’s long wait for a home champion at Melbourne Park by winning the 2022 women’s title, locals will hope Kyrgios can finally claim a maiden Grand Slam crown and end the 47-year drought for a home men’s winner.

Having often left some fans cold with his on-court histrionics, Kyrgios said it was now a privilege to feel Australia wanted him to win and be one of the favourites.

“I walked in here at the Australian Open maybe eight, nine years ago as a wild card. Now to see how my career has unfolded, to get to a point where everyone kind of expects me to win and go far, it’s a good feeling,” the 27-year-old said on Saturday.

“But there’s a lot of stress, as well. I see it everywhere, on social media, everyone talking about it. ‘How are you feeling about Australian Open? You’re one of the favourites’. It’s hard to kind of just focus on what I need to do.” REUTERS, AFP