On Tuesday, World no.1, Novak Djokovic was finally back on court after a rather awful week in Australia. Only a day before, an Australian judge overturned the Serb’s visa cancellation and demanded he be released from detention. Almost immediately, he started his preparation for the Australian Open, which is scheduled for 17th January.

The Serbian expressed his gratitude on Twitter and thanked all of his fans for supporting him during this strenuous period. He wrote, “For now I cannot say more but THANK YOU all for standing with me through all this and encouraging me to stay strong.” 

Uncomfortable Tuesday for Novak Djokovic

Many current and ex-players expressed their views on Djokovic’s fight to compete at the Australian Open. Notably, while some were positive, some were negative. According to the renowned journalist, Ben Rothenberg, a few were left uncomfortable when Djokovic hit the Gym on Tuesday. 

He wrote on Twitter, “[Djokovic] came to the gym before his hit. The place went silent with everyone staring. Talk about uncomfortable.”

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The reaction from some of the players was quite glaring, as Marton Fucsovics was highly critical of the outcome of Djokovic’s verdict. He said, “People’s health is paramount, and there are rules that were outlined months ago, namely that everyone should vaccinate themselves–and Djokovic didn’t. From this point of view, I don’t think he would have the right to be here.”

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However, Djokovic got some support from his long-time rival, Rafael Nadal. Speaking in an interview, Nadal said, “Whether or not I agree with Djokovic on some things, justice has spoken…I wish him the best of luck.”

Novak is finally back on the court

Certainly, Novak Djokovic’s preparation for the Australian Open got sidetracked after a long battle with the Australian authority. But, on Tuesday, he finally had a hitting session at the iconic Rod Laver Arena. 

Interestingly, he was practicing behind closed doors, with all the normal camera feeds not functioning. According to Ben Rothenberg, they reopened the court once Djokovic was done with his practice session. 

Despite the lack of preparation, the 20-time Grand Slam winner will begin his quest for his 21st title in Melbourne on 17th January. Only time will tell whether he will lift the title on 30th January or not. 

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