DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Novak Djokovic kicks off the 2022 season in Dubai on Monday with the ambition to retain first place in the world, a month after being ousted from Australia where he failed to defend his chances in the first Grand Slam. of the year without having been vaccinated against COVID-19.

While the Serb will return late to the UAE, his opponent Rafael Nadal will try to confirm his return to the forefront in Acapulco after offering himself a 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne in late January, a record for men. .

Thus, the Spaniard had surpassed one point in the list of “Majors” the Swiss Roger Federer, who is still recovering, and therefore Djokovic, whose cancellation of participation in the Australian Open, against the background of health protocols, had become a front page.

To justify his arrival in Australia without being vaccinated, the 34-year-old Serb had requested, on the grounds that he had been infected by COVID a few weeks earlier, an exemption that had never been granted to him. And his visa had been permanently canceled after 15 days of unprecedented controversy.

Djokovic has been resting in Serbia with his family ever since, and this week he came out of his silence to BBC then Serbian television. He is not “anti-vax”, he made it clear, but he wants to continue to “control what we inject” into his body.

He also said he was “ready to pay the price” for his beliefs, even if it cost him his place in the other three major tournaments this season, namely Roland-Garros (May 22 – June 5), Wimbledon ( June 27 – July). 10), the United States Open (August 29 – September 11) and the de facto fight for the record.

No vaccines in Dubai

In Dubai, the No. 1 in the world can participate in the tournament, because the coronavirus vaccine is not mandatory to enter the Emirates, where 895 new cases were announced on Thursday.

Djokovic has already won the trophy five times in this competition, where Andy Murray, Scotland’s former No. 1 in the world, is also declared. “I’m excited to be back and play here,” the Serb told local media on his return to the Gulf.

“I miss tennis, after everything that happened,” he added, referring to the Australian Open.

After Dubai, it is on the list for the Indian Wells Masters 1000 (March 7-20) in the California desert. However, he has no right to enter American territory without being vaccinated.

Djokovic wants to “play better than ever”, he announced on Serbian national television (RTS), this week.

“I can not say that things will be the same when I return to the field (…) but I have one more reason to play better than ever,” he added. We need to know a little more on Sunday night, when he will speak at a press conference in Dubai.

Reunion with Musetti

On Monday, Djokovic will find young Lorenzo Musetti (19, 57th in the world) who had struggled in June in his quest for a second trophy at Roland Garros.

During the round of 16 in Paris, the Serbian champion had lost the first two sets before reversing the trend, while Musetti eventually gave up in the fifth set (6-7 (7), 6-7 (2), 6-1 , 6-0, 4-0).

For Djokovic, the challenge will also be to retain the chair of the ATP king that No. 2 in the world, Russian Daniel Medvedev, who participates in the Acapulco tournament, can thank him at the end of the week. The finalist of the last Australian Open can climb to the top if he wins the title in Mexico regardless of the result of “Djoko” in the Emirates.

But the competition promises to be tough in Acapulco with, except for Nadal who was initially opposed to the American Reilly Opelka, very fit at the moment, the Greek Stefanos Tsitipas and the German Alexander Zverev.

For his part, Djokovic hopes to find good feelings quickly, the one who has not played since December 3rd and the defeat in Madrid with Serbia ahead of Croatia in the Davis Cup semifinals. The Serb then took part in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi, the Mubadala WTC, which was defeated in the semifinals by Tsitsipas.