Djokovic 'emotional' after warm reception at Melbourne Park; eyes 10th Australian Open crown
Ahead of the Australian Open 2023, Novak Djokovic said he felt "emotional" following a warm reception from fans upon his return to Melbourne Park for a practice match against Nick Kyrgios on Friday.
FollowA year after former World No.1 Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia over his unvaccinated status against Covid-19, the Serbian returned to the famous Melbourne Park as fans welcomed the tennis ace with a warm reception.Â
Ahead of the Australian Open 2023, Djokovic said he felt 'emotional' after the crowd cheered him on for a practice match against local hero Nick Kyrgios on Friday.
Djokovic was handed over a three-year travel ban from the nation and was deported on the eve of the 2022 Australian Open for not having the COVID-19 vaccination. However, the ex-top-ranked player's visa suspension was lifted in November, allowing him to chase down his 10th Australian Open victory and tie Rafa Nadal's record of 22 Grand Slam victories.
"I'm very happy, thank you so much," Djokovic said before the match, to loud cheers from the crowd.
"I feel a bit emotional right now, to be honest. I was really looking forward to coming back to this court, so thank you all, guys, for coming out tonight for a great cause," the Serbian added.
Djokovic and Kyrgios each won a shortened set in the practice match before competing in a tiebreaker alongside wheelchair players David Wagner and Heath Davidson and two juniors.
Rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were drawn on opposing sides of the Australian Open 2023 bracket, which meant that they could only face off in the Melbourne Park championship match. Together, they have won a total of 43 Grand Slam singles titles.
Fourth-seeded Djokovic will open his bid for a 10th Australian Open title against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the tournament, which begins Monday.
