12 months ago, there was chaos as Novak Djokovic touched down in Australia. The country had a strict no entry policy to anybody who hadn’t been vaccinated against Covid-19, and the Serbian failed to confirm his status.
He tweeted before boarding his flight that he had been given exemption to enter the country, but that enraged the locals who had abided by the rules, and they put huge pressure on Prime Minister Scott Morrison. In the meantime, Djokovic was kept in a detention centre until a decision was reached, before he was eventually deported.
With protests both for and against his departure, tennis’ first Grand Slam of the year had descended into chaos before a ball was even hit. In the end, it was rival Rafael Nadal who lifted the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup to take him within one of Djokovic’s overall total.
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With any luck, those two will go at it again in Melbourne. And this time, there is no drama surrounding Djokovic. The three-year Visa ban he was handed was overturned in August and now, is his set to light up the Australian Open, yet again.
Despite not being allowed in last January, it is the tournament where he feels most at home. If the Serbian can pull off a tenth win in Melbourne he will go down in history as one of the only two men in history to win ten Grand Slam titles at one single event. The other? Nadal, who completed ‘La Decima’ at the French Open in 2017 and is now up to 14 titles at Roland Garros.
No other man in the Open Era has hit double figures, which isn’t surprising when you consider what an incredible achievement it truly is. Being able to utterly dominate one surface for a minimum of a decade, with no slip ups against some of the finest players in the world, is absolutely insane. It’s even more impressive when you consider both Djokovic and Nadal have been doing this for 15+ years.
@DjokerNole has arrived in Adelaide and kicked off his first practice session.
As that major target comes into view, this time Djokovic’s preparation has been perfect. The lack of drama surrounding his arrival, compared to the furore around him a year ago, will allow him to do exactly what he does best: play tennis. It’s no surprise that with the domination he has shown since 2008, he is the clear favourite with Betfred.
They are offering odds of 5/4 for him to claim his tenth crown, with US Open champion Carlos Alcatraz at 5/1 and Rafa Nadal at 10/1. Djokovic will warm up for the first Grand Slam event of the year by partaking in the Adelaide International, before the main event begins on January 16.
“Novak is welcome in Australia,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tilley said upon his arrival. “I think as we speak he has landed in Adelaide and he's going to be the player to beat (at the Australian Open) again.”
After a year away, Djokovic will be more determined than ever to claim the title he believes is rightfully his. If he manages to pull it off he will not only extend his lead as the most successful tennis player of all time, but certify his legacy as the greatest hard court player ever with ten Australian Open titles to his name.
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