Novak Djokovic had just wrapped up last season by winning the ATP Finals for a record sixth time when, rather than looking ahead to 2023, his mind immediately went back to the way 2022 began: He was unable to compete in the Australian Open after being deported from the country because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.
That whole episode, and the decision to eschew the shots required for entry elsewhere, too, helped define his season — and perhaps to some, his legacy. So as he reflected on his triumph at the year-ending championship tournament in Italy this past November, Djokovic viewed it through the prism of what occurred in Australia last January.
“It feels deeply satisfying and, at the same time, huge relief, because of the circumstances that I have been through this year — situations earlier this year, of course, with Australia. … That had an effect, obviously, on my start of the year,” the 35-year-old from Serbia said. “For the first several months, I was trying to find that balance, game-wise but also mentally, in order to be able to come back to the court and find that tennis level that I need.”
When the year’s first Grand Slam begins Monday morning in Melbourne, Djokovic will be back.
Back in Australia — despite never getting inoculated against the coronavirus — thanks to government decisions to remove any vaccination requirements for visitors and to waive what could have been three-year ban for him as someone whose visa had been revoked.