San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Djokovic back in country’s good graces
Dropped vaccination requirement allows 9-time champion to make his way back
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic received a warm and enthusiastic welcome in his return to Melbourne during an exhibition match against Nick Kyrgios on Friday.
Djokovic was deported ahead of last year’s Australian Open because of a visa issue relating to his refusal to say whether he had been vaccinated for COVID-19.
But the nine-time Australian Open champion was allowed to return for this year’s tournament beginning Sunday because vaccination requirements have been dropped by the Australian government.
After enjoying what he said was a “fantastic” response from fans in Adelaide during a tournament last week, Djokovic said he was unsure how he would be received in Melbourne a year after he was deported.
But an emotional Djokovic walked into a sold-out Rod Laver Arena to loud cheers from the crowd of 15,000.
“It just feels great to be back in Australia, back in Melbourne,” Djokovic said. “This is the court and the stadium where I created the best memories of my professional tennis career.
“Back in 2008 was the first time I won a Grand Slam, it was here, and 15 years later I’m here again and I’m competing at the high level. I must be very grateful for this opportunity to be here, so thank you, guys, for welcoming me in a good way tonight.”
Djokovic showed no signs of the hamstring issue that has troubled him this month and repeatedly played up to the crowd during the lighthearted exhibition for charity.
Kyrgios pulled out of the recent United Cup and Adelaide International tournaments with knee and ankle complaints and has not played a serious match since late last year. But Australia’s top-ranked player moved well against Djokovic, who beat him in the Wimbledon final last year. The two could meet in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park.
Kyrgios takes on Roman Safiullin in the first round while Djokovic opens his bid for a 10th Australian Open title against Roberto Carballes Baena.
During the exhibition match, Djokovic and Kyrgios delivered trick shots, fake outbursts and mid-match TV interviews. They took a set each under Fast4 conditions before teaming up with wheelchair players and juniors for a third-set tiebreak.
As for the Australian Open’s women’s competition, where Iga Swiatek is the No. 1 seed after defending champion Ash Barty retired, one of the players to watch is American teen Coco Gauff.
Gauff, 18, is scheduled to start the action in Rod Laver Arena against Katerina Siniakova. Win that, and Gauff next could face Emma Raducanu, who won the 2021 U.S. Open as a teenager.
Keep going all the way to the semifinals, and the seventh-seeded Gauff might just end up facing Swiatek, who won the 2020 French Open as a teenager and has since tacked on two more major titles. That would be a rematch of their French Open final last June, which Swiatek won.
Gauff made her Grand Slam debut in 2019 by becoming the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history, then drawing even more attention by beating Venus Williams en route to making it to the fourth round at the All England Club.
“I’ve definitely grown a lot since then. I was 15 and very new. I had a lot of confidence. Still have a lot of confidence. But I feel like I’m more grounded,” Gauff said. “Everything happened so fast, so my head got — I wouldn’t say ‘big,’ because I was always humble and stuff — but I think, in hindsight, it is all happening fast.”
Swiatek’s take on Gauff ? “I feel, off court, that she’s really humble. I’m happy about that, because I know that from a young age, kind of all eyes were on her,” Swiatek said. “I’m happy she’s coping with that well.”