Nadal ‘happy’ after Djokovic AO visa decision

TURIN, Italy: Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal on Thursday welcomed the decision to grant his Serbian rival Novak Djokovic a visa which will enable him to compete at the 2023 event, describing it as “the best news possible”.

In a sensational series of events in 2022, Djokovic was detained and deported from Australia over his non-vaccinated status on Covid.

He was initially barred by the then-conservative government from returning to Australia until 2025 but Australia’s new Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said that with a significant easing in pandemic restrictions, the nine-time champion was now welcome to return. Nadal, who won the event in Djokovic’s absence, has a men’s record 22 individual Grand Slam titles to the Serb’s 21, with Australia the next of the four annual major tournaments.