Djokovic returns to hero's welcome in Serbia

[BELGRADE] Novak Djokovic returned to a hero's welcome in Serbia on Monday after Australia deported the world men's tennis No 1 for being unvaccinated against Covid-19, a stance jeopardising his quest for a record 21st Grand Slam title.

Most Australians had wanted him gone, but Serbian supporters waved national flags and lauded him on arrival at Belgrade airport. "You are our champion, Novak!" and "We love you, Nole!" they chanted, using his diminutive name. The 34-year-old "King of of Melbourne", who has won nine previous Australia Opens, is level with Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer on 20 titles, and was top men's seed for the tournament that got underway on Monday.

But instead of beginning his title defence as scheduled at Melbourne Park,, he flew to Belgrade via Dubai after being twice detained in a hotel with asylum-seekers and then unceremoniously booted out by Australian immigration.

"Whoever wins it now, doesn't really count," said Alek Drakoo, a member of the Australian Serbian community, disappointed to miss seeing him in Melbourne. The Australian government's decision was in tune with majority public opinion, but the authorities have been criticised for not resolving the issue before he arrived.

Djokovic said: "I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and the tournament I love." He expressed disappointment, but respect for a court decision against him.

Marko Strugalovic, a 60-year-old fan at Belgrade airport, said: "I think he entered history as a hero, as a man and as a fighter against this evil which is called corona-circus. Nole, you are a king, you are an emperor, Nole is the greatest legend walking the earth, he is a living saint."

Djokovic was first detained by immigration authorities on Jan 6, ordered released by a court on Jan 10 and then detained again on Saturday before Sunday's court hearing. The Serbian jetted out of Melbourne on Sunday, the eve of the Australian Open.

Over in Melbourne, where the tournament got underway on Monday, fellow champion Rafael Nadal said that "justice has spoken", but that Novak Djokovic was not the only one to blame for the "mess" that has overshadowed the tournament.

The Spanish great also said that he would have preferred it if his rival and defending champion Djokovic had been playing in the first Grand Slam of the year.

"Almost one week ago, when he won in the first instance, the case, he was able to get back his visa and was practising. I said justice had spoken," Nadal said after cruising into the Australian Open second round.

"If the justice says his visa is valid and he's able to play here, the justice has spoken, so that's the fairest thing, that he deserves to play here. Yesterday, the justice said another thing. I will never be against what the justice says."

"I think the situation has been a mess," said Nadal. "He's not the only one that did probably things bad in that case. Of course, there is more responsible in all this terrible situation that we faced for the last two weeks," he said.

"But of course he is one of those responsible." Nadal is one of the main beneficiaries of Djokovic not being at the Australian Open to defend his title; both players were gunning to be the first man in history to win 21 Grand Slams.

Despite this, Nadal added: "The ideal situation in the world of sport is that the best players are on court and playing the most important events, without a doubt. If Novak Djokovic is playing here, is better for everybody, no doubt about that."

AFP, REUTERS