BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 tennis player in the world, announced on Thursday that he would tell the “side of the story” in “seven to ten days” of his January deportation by Australian authorities, who blocked him. to compete in the first Grand Slam of the season.
“Please be patient, in the next seven to ten days I will speak to the media in more detail and, say, my side of the story and everything that happened in Australia,” Nole told reporters at the Serbian presidency announced for his first public appearance after his return to Serbia.
In a brief media interview with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, he gave no further details about his intentions.
Above all, he wanted to thank the Head of State and his Serbian supporters for the support he received during his court battle to try to stay in Australia and play in a tournament he had already won nine times.
After initially being barred from coming to Australia, thanks to tests proving he had been infected by COVID-19 a month before the tournament, the Serb was finally expelled after ten days of judicial soap opera by the Australian government, shortly before his start. tournament.
The Australian government justified its decision with the “health risk” that the 34-year-old player, who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19, could represent.
The Serbian Prosecutor’s Office announced on Wednesday that the results of the PCR tests presented by Djokovic in order to receive a resignation, the authenticity of which is disputed by some media, were “valid”.
The Australian Open, where he aspired to win his 21st Grand Slam title, was won by Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who set the record for Major titles by winning his 21st Major title, ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer, who each have twenty.
Since returning to Serbia on January 17th, Djokovic has shown great discretion, appearing only a few times in public, mainly in Montenegro, without making any statements.
