Novak Djokovic had an unfortunate, to say the least, start to the 2022 season. The Serbian tennis star was embroiled in controversy ever since he set his foot in Australia. The 34-year-old had received a vaccine exemption to participate in the Australian Open 2022. However, upon landing in Melbourne, his visa was canceled, and was subsequently detained for having insufficient evidence about his exemption. Further, he was involved in a legal battle against the authorities in the Federal Court of Australia.

The incident left the tennis fraternity divided in their opinions for and against the Serb. Some former legends were critical of the handling of his case, while others believed Novak could’ve done better. Even his fellow players on the tour gave their opinions on this episode. Recently, Bernard Tomic revealed his conversation with the World No. 1.

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Bernard Tomic opens up on his conversation with Novak Djokovic

The Australian tennis player, who reached a career-high ranking of 17, thought it was “very sad” that Novak didn’t get the chance to compete in Australia.

Further, he said, “Novak thanked me for my support and wished me the best. What happened is unbelievable, unreal. But if there is anyone who can come back stronger and has the strength to face everything, that is him. Probably he is the only one on the tour who is strong enough to overcome this. I believe he is a true champion and that he will overcome this situation.”

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After Djokovic lost the final appeal a day before the commencement of the Australian Open, he returned to his home country. However, he will aim to make a strong comeback in the coming tournaments and will next be seen in action at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.