Opinion
If you had told anyone this time last year that Novak Djokovic would be returning to Australia in 2023, attempting to be the first man to win ten Australian Open titles, you would have been laughed at. But here is, back in the country and successful in his win at the Adelaide International.
Djokovic has now won his last 30 matches in a row in Australia. He’s also won 48 of his last 50 matches and 73 of his last 76. There would have been little hope of this occurring in January 2022 when he was public enemy number one and suffered the wrath of many Australians.
Djokovic is also attempting to equal Rafael Nadal’s record of 22 men’s singles titles, but if Rafa wins, Nadal will match Serena Williams’s open-era record of 23 major singles titles. There’s a lot to play for.
But the Serbian great will arrive in Melbourne unsure as to how the Australian tennis public will react to him returning after being deported for not following COVID rules ahead of last year’s tournament.
“I’m hoping they’re going to be positive,” he said in a press conference. “It’s not something I can predict.
“I’ll do my best to play good tennis, bring good emotions and good feelings to the crowd.”’
(Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In 2022 he was unsure as to whether he would come back, as the memories of being held in detention were still a hurtful time.
“It’s one of these things that stays with you for I guess the rest of your life. It’s something that I’ve never experienced before and hopefully never again.”
Winning the tournament, however, could elevate him back to the No. 1 world ranking position, which would be a considerable achievement. He faces competition from Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who are also in contention for the top position.
I must admit a glance through the top ten seeds for the tournament reveals a lot of players I am not familiar with. There’s no Roger Federer for starters. Rafael Nadal is the No. 1 seed followed by Ruud and Tsitsipas, while Daniil Medvedev is No. 7.
As for the other seeds, I need to boost my tennis watching! The dangerous Nick Kyrgios is seeded at No. 20, with his Wimbledon final battle against Djokovic a recent confidence booster. Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 1, has had to withdraw due to a leg injury. I remember hearing about him a short time ago, and he appears to have come out of nowhere to be No. 1 – it reminded me of the golfer Scottie Scheffler, who exploded up the rankings suddenly and had people asking, “Who is this guy?”.
After Djokovic’s Australian tribulations he went on to be beaten by Nadal in the French Open quarter-finals but then won Wimbledon and won the ATP Finals in Italy against Casper Ruud. He withdrew from the US Open as he did not comply with the government’s policy on COVID vaccinations.
Will the Australian tennis supporters and fans in general have moved on enough to give Djokovic a warm welcome to Australia? Australian Open boss Craig Tiley has already called on fans to give the former champion an appropriate reception, saying that fans will be ejected from venues if they unfairly target the Serbian.
Former winner Stan Wawrinka states that tennis fans should be able “do whatever they want” at this year’s event. It does not feel quite so emotional as last year, and I hope he is respected. The tournament promises to be entertaining with Novak in a winning position.
From an immigration detention hotel to potentially winning the Australian Open – who would have thought?
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