RETURN TO OZ
Aussies ready to lift Djokovic’s ban to allow him to play in Grand Slam
Novak Djokovic looks set to have his ban on entering australia rescinded in time to compete in january’s next Grand Slam event.
Government sources have told Melbourne media outlets that the 35-year-old Serb is likely to be allowed in to contest the tournament that he has won nine times previously.
Unvaccinated travellers are now permitted to enter the country — unlike the US — but Djokovic was barred for three years after the fiasco that unfolded around the 2022 australian open.
according to the Herald Sun, this will now be lifted. as
Sportsmail reported at Wimbledon, Tennis australia have been confident for some time that this would be the case.
a major reason is the change of government earlier this year. it may be more than coincidence that the new Prime Minister, anthony albanese, is a well-known tennis nut who plays several times per week.
Djokovic (right) has missed two Slams this year and in the one that he emerged victorious from — Wimbledon — he was unable to claim any points.
That has seen his ranking fall to No 7 and, in his absence, Spanish teenager carlos alcaraz was facing Norway’s casper Ruud in last night’s final, with the winner ascending to become world No 1.
Djokovic’s next appearance will be in this month’s Laver cup at London’s 02 arena. in australia, his first appearance would likely be in the new mixed-team competition due to take place at the start of january, which is expected to be the subject of an announcement this week.
While the new men’s No 1 will not be far ahead of the field, there is no doubt who will emerge as the best female player of 2022: iga Swiatek.
The 21-year-old from Poland has won two Grand Slams this year, adding the US open to the
French when she beat ons jabeur 6-2, 7-5 on Saturday night.
With the australian open champion ash Barty retired, and Wimbledon throwing up a surprise winner in Elena Rybakina, Swiatek continues to be the one woman clearly standing above the pack.
She certainly has the champion mentality when it comes to finals, as this was the tenth consecutive she has won in straight sets.
Her first set was immaculate against the popular Tunisian, who staged a strong rearguard action in the second, only to emulate her runner-up finish at SW19 this summer.
Swiatek was not at her best in the early rounds but, as ESPN commentator chris Evert observed, she showed the priceless ability to get the job done when struggling to find her form.
‘People were starting to think she might not be dominating but she pulled through some tough matches and she played her best match of the tournament in the final,’ said Evert. ‘i love that she can play on hard courts, she played like a No 1 player.
‘Maybe grass is next for her. She is the mentally toughest player on the circuit because she can get herself out of these holes — that’s what champions do.’
Modest Swiatek acknowledged that she is not perhaps a natural fit for the US open. That she can make it here suggests she can make it anywhere.
‘at Roland Garros, i always feel like i have more control and i
feel like Philippe chatrier stadium is kind of my place,’ she said. ‘Here on arthur ashe, i still need to figure out the atmosphere. i wasn’t sure if i was at the level yet to win, especially at the US open where the surface is so fast.
‘it’s something that i wasn’t expecting. it’s also like a confirmation for me that the sky is the limit.’
She succeeds Emma Raducanu, whose career as a non-Grand Slam champion resumes this week in the more humble setting of Portoroz in Slovenia, where she faces Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in the first round of the WTa event.