Novak Djokovic claims he was singled out for unfair treatment by the media during the saga that led to his deportation from Australia last year, suggesting his portrayal as “the villain of the world” caused lingering personal upheaval and damaged his public image.
Djokovic had his visa revoked last January after Alex Hawke, Australia’s former immigration minister, ruled that his failure to get vaccinated against Covid posed a risk to civil order. The nine-time Australian Open champion, who arrived in the country at a time when strict biosecurity measures were in place, believed he had a valid medical exemption and challenged the decision in the federal court.
The story made headlines around the worldwide, dominating the prelude to the season’s first grand slam, which Rafael Nadal went on to win in a thrilling final against Daniil Medvedev.
While Djokovic has emphasised that he bears no ill-will over the episode, he told local broadcaster 9News Melbourne that media coverage of the episode had left lingering scars.
“I cannot forget what happened last year, but at the same time I moved on and I feel good being here,” said Djokovic.
“[It was] not a great narrative in the media about me at all. All of a sudden, I became the villain of the world, which is obviously a terrible position to be in as an athlete.
“I was really drawn into a storm in media worldwide that was related to anything to do with Covid and the vaccine.
“Everything got out of hand and then I was labelled as this or that. It was so big in the media that I just could not fight that.”
Hopeful that the commotion would eventually die down, Djokovic sought to keep a low profile in the aftermath of his departure. But the 35-year-old said it was difficult to “regroup and restart” in the months that followed, particularly in the face of persistent questions about the saga from the press. Djokovic said the fallout from the episode damaged his reputation and caused upheaval within his immediate circle.
“The media picked on me big time for several months and not in a positive note, so that created a lot of disturbance to my brand and to me personally and people around me,” said Djokovic.
“It is something that you have to accept and deal with at the moment. I wouldn’t say that it is something that would destroy or eliminate everything that I have achieved on and off the court throughout my career.
“[But] it was so impactful, and it echoed so far around the world, that a lot of people will still talk about and remember it for a long time. It is something that is going to follow me for some time.”
The cancellation of Djokovic’s visa triggered an automatic ban preventing him from re-entering Australia for three years. Victory for the Labor party in last May’s federal election paved the way for a rethink, however, and the 21-time grand slam champion was well received in Adelaide last week, where he began his Australian Open preparations with a first title of the year after recovering from match point down against Sebastian Korda in the final.
Djokovic has since moved on to Melbourne Park, where he has so far been afforded an equally warm welcome. There are concerns about his fitness, however, after he cut short a practice session with Medvedev citing discomfort in the same hamstring that bothered him when he played the Russian last week in Adelaide.
“I just want to avoid any bigger scares before the Australian Open,” said Djokovic. “I felt it pulling and I didn’t want to risk anything worse.”
What Marin Cilic would give to have that luxury. The 2018 finalist has been forced to withdraw from the tournament after suffering a knee injury at the Maharashtra Open in Pune, India last week.
“Not a great start to 2023 and few tough days in Melbourne,” said Cilic, the Croatian world No 18, in a social media post. “Devastated I can’t play this year but health comes first. See you next year Melbourne.”