Novak Djokovic: “It’s Great To Be Back In Australia!”

After being deported in shame a year ago from Australia, it’s been a different return for Novak Djokovic in 2023. The Serb is back in Australia under better circumstances and eyeing another Melbourne title run.

“It’s great to be back in Australia,” Djokovic said Thursday in press in Adelaide. “It’s a country where I’ve had tremendous success in my career, particularly in Melbourne. It’s by far my most successful Grand Slam. I’m hoping that everything is going to be positive.

But the Serb hasn’t forgotten what happened last year, and perhaps even can use it as fuel.

“Obviously what happened 12 months ago was not easy for me, for my family, or to anybody who’s close to me, and it’s obviously disappointing to leave the country like that,” he said. “You don’t forget those events. It’s one of these things that sticks with you for the rest of your life.”

“It was, as I said, something that I’ve never experienced before and hopefully never again. But it is a valuable life experience for me and something that, as I said, will stay there, but I have to move on,” added Djokovic.

Djokovic chose to play the 250 Adelaide event over the United Cup based on the later start date and the format. Adelaide, though, has a stacked field with Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev and new stars Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune.

“I always have faith in myself and belief that I can win every tournament that I play in. I think with the career that I’ve had, I feel like I deserve to have that kind of I guess mental approach,” Djokovic added.

“I know what I need to do in order to compete with them, in order to be one of the contenders for the title here and in Melbourne. The good memories and good history that I have on Australian soil gives me a lot of positive emotions and belief that I can do it again, that I can go far.”

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