- Serbian superstar deported in 2022 due to vaccination status
- He is back in Australia trying to win his 25th Grand Slam title
Novak Djokovic has revealed the “trauma” he faces every time he visits Melbourne after being detained and deported during the Covid crisis, before receiving a stern response from the Victorian premier.
Although the Serbian superstar has played some of his best tennis in Australia, he recently admitted that he still feels uncomfortable every time he sets foot in Melbourne, the city with the longest coronavirus lockdowns in the world.
Djokovic was forced to leave Australia just days before his on-court appearance as the defending Australian Open champion in January 2022 because he entered the country unvaccinated during pandemic border restrictions.
“I have to be very frank,” he said. Herald of the sun.
‘The last two times I landed in Australia, to go through passport control and immigration, I had a little trauma from three years ago.
And there are still some traces there when I go through passport control, just checking if anyone from the immigration area is approaching.
Novak Djokovic (pictured) says he still feels “trauma” every time he visits Melbourne after being detained and deported during the Covid crisis
The tennis legend was deported from the country following a dispute over his vaccination status (pictured) in scenes that made headlines around the world.
‘The person who checks my passport: are they going to take me away, detain me again or let me go?
“I must admit I have that feeling.”
Victorian Prime Minister Jacinta Allan reacted to Djokovic’s revelation with a blunt statement that showed no sympathy towards him.
‘Covid was hard for all of us. “It didn’t matter who you were or what you did, it was a difficult time,” he said.
“The pandemic is behind us and what I am focused on is supporting a great Australian Open for 2025.
“We are seeing thousands of visitors from around the world and across the country flock to Melbourne for the Australian Open.”
In 2023, Djokovic told Channel Nine he felt like ‘the villain of the world’ in Melbourne, where he was detained in a hotel with asylum seekers before being deported.
“There were two or three other people who arrived in Australia ten days before me with exactly the same exemption as me,” he said.
Prime Minister Jacinta Allan reacted to Djokovic’s revelation about the impact of his detention and deportation with a strong statement
Djokovic has played his best tennis at the Australian Open over the years, winning the title a record 10 times.
‘I was just following the rules. My exemption was verified by an independent body and a panel of doctors… and I arrived with all valid documents.
“Everything got out of control and then I was labeled as this or that. It was so big in the media that I just couldn’t fight it, I didn’t even want to get into it.
“Obviously I wanted to stay here and play tennis, but at some point, with all the craziness around, I just wanted to get out and go home.”
The saga lasted about two weeks, but Djokovic was eventually deported. Fellow superstar Rafael Nadal won the tournament and Djokovic says it took him some time to get over his ordeal.
“I stayed at home for several weeks, I really didn’t walk much,” he added. “I just hoped the situation would calm down, and it did, but the footprints remained there.
‘The trails continued for several months and I didn’t know if it was going to affect my game and the way I played. It wasn’t easy for me mentally to regroup and start again. At every press conference I was asked at least one or two questions about Australia and what happened. Even if I wanted to move on, people would remind me.
“It remains unfortunate and it hurts me that most people have the wrong idea about what happened. I have been heavily criticized by the media for several months and not in a positive way, which has created a lot of disruption for my brand, for me personally and for the people around me.’