Adelaide International: Novak Djokovic receives positive welcome back to Australia

2 years ago 62

Novak Djokovic received a affirmative invited backmost to Australia arsenic helium made a uncommon doubles appearances astatine the Adelaide International.

The Serb was deported anterior to the 2022 Australian Open due to the fact that of his Covid-19 vaccination status.

Djokovic's three-year visa prohibition was overturned successful November, allowing him to participate the country.

He and Canada's Vasek Pospisil were beaten 4-6 6-3 10-5 by Tomislav Brkic and Gonzalo Escobar connected his return.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion enjoyed overwhelming enactment from the assemblage passim the match, greeted by cheers and chants of "Novak, Novak" arsenic helium made his mode connected to court.

The 35-year-old, presently ranked satellite fig five, stayed down aft the decision to motion autographs and instrumentality photographs with fans.

He is apical effect successful the singles successful Adelaide and volition look Frenchman Constant Lestienne successful the archetypal circular connected Tuesday arsenic helium continues his build-up to the Australian Open, the archetypal large of the season, which starts connected 16 January.

Djokovic is simply a nine-time champion successful Melbourne and is conscionable 1 Grand Slam rubric shy of Rafael Nadal's men's grounds of 22.

What happened 12 months ago?

Last January, erstwhile Djokovic arrived successful Australia for the 2022 tournament, Covid-19 cases were rising accelerated and authorities rules required anyone entering the state to beryllium vaccinated - unless they had a valid medicine exemption.

Djokovic, who was detained by the Australian Border Force connected entering the state and forced to enactment astatine an migration hotel, claimed helium had obtained a aesculapian exemption to support his rubric without being vaccinated due to the fact that helium had precocious recovered from Covid.

However, aft 10 days of ineligible argument, the authorities ruled helium did not conscionable the requirements for entry, truthful his visa was cancelled and helium was automatically banned from entering Australia until 2025.

Djokovic's detention dominated the headlines successful the build-up to the tournament, with crowds gathering extracurricular his edifice campaigning for and against his eventual deportation.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles - whose authorities came to powerfulness successful May - overturned the visa prohibition successful November and Djokovic said helium was "very happy" connected proceeding the news.

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