Novak Djokovic revealed he nonetheless experiences trauma every time he visits Melbourne, three years after he was deported for a breach of Australia’s COVID-19 guidelines.
Djokovic wasn’t allowed to defend his Australian Open title in 2022 due to his refusal to be vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was detained in a resort for 5 days throughout a authorized saga that culminated together with his visa being revoked on the eve of the event, which was gained by Rafael Nadal.
Whereas Djokovic gained the Australian Open the next yr, with COVID restrictions eased, he has admitted he nonetheless feels uneasy upon stepping foot within the nation.
“The final couple of instances I landed in Australia, to undergo passport management and immigration — I had a little bit of trauma from three years in the past,” Djokovic instructed Melbourne’s Herald Solar. “And a few traces nonetheless keep there once I’m passing passport management, simply testing if somebody from immigration zone is approaching.
“The individual checking my passport — are they going to take me, detain me once more or let me go? I have to admit I’ve that feeling.”
He added: “I do not maintain a grudge. I got here straight away the yr after and I gained. My mother and father and entire staff have been there and it was truly one of the vital emotional wins I’ve ever had, contemplating all that I would been by means of the yr earlier than.”
The Australian Open begins on Jan. 12, and Djokovic holds the document for essentially the most males’s singles titles on the event (10).