Novak Djokovic failed to compete at the 2022 Australian Open after being deported but returned the following year to win the title.

Novak Djokovic remains the record title holder at the Australian Open but is yet to get over some awkward experiences in Melbourne. The Serbian recently opened up on the lasting effect of being deported from Australia three years ago.

In 2022, Djokovic arrived in Melbourne unvaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. Despite accepting all the necessary restrictions involved in virus restrictions, he was not welcomed without getting vaccinated. The Serbian visa was canceled by the Australian government on health and good order grounds.

He was then forced to stay at an immigration hotel for five days while he unsuccessfully appealed against the decision. However, he was eventually deported from Australia, forcing him to miss the Grand Slam tournament in 2022. The following year, he returned to the event and won it for the record 10th time.

Despite having undergone the same a couple of years ago, Djokovic said that he still experiences trauma when he visits Melbourne. He added that traces of the event that transpired in 2022 always get to him each time he lands at the airport.

The last couple of times I landed in Australia, to go through passport control and immigration – I had a bit of trauma from three years ago. And some traces still stay there…The person checking my passport – are they going to take me, detain me again or let me go? I must admit I have that feeling.

Novak Djokovic said via Herald Sun

Djokovic is already in Melbourne for the 2025 Australian Open. The Serbian has been featured at the event since 2023, just a year after getting deported. At this year’s edition, he is seeking a record-extending 11th Australian Open title.

ATP star ridicules Andy Murray’s intention to join Novak Djokovic’s team after retiring at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Novak Djokovic was without his new coach, Andy Murray, at the Brisbane International. At the event, the Serbian suffered a disappointing exit after losing to Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinals. However, the British legend will be with him at the 2025 Australian Open, as Djokovic seeks to win his 25th Grand Slam title.

Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic (Image via X)

However, since Djokovic announced that Murray was going to be a part of his team, it has raised a few eyebrows in tennis. One of them, Alexander Bublik recently revealed that the reason why Murray joined Djokovic’s team is because he is attempting to grasp something that doesn’t exist.

Now he has joined Novak Djokovic’s team. These are attempts to grasp at something that no longer exists, to some echoes of the past. I think this is a problem. I hope that it will not be the same for me, but I cannot say for sure. Maybe at the age of 36 I will go to the Challenger in Bangkok, but I still hope that I will leave with peace of mind.

Djokovic and Murray were rivals right from their playing days in the Junior category. Nonetheless, despite their fierce rivalry they remained friends on and off the court.