The 112th edition of the Australian Open, the 56th in the Open Era, will take place at Melbourne Park, from January 14 to January 28, 2025 and ahead of the tournament, former World Champion, Novak Djokovic has revealed that he still feels “trauma” when anytime he thinks about his deportation from Down Under in 2022 over his refusal to reveal his Covid-19 vaccination status three years ago.
“The last couple of times I landed in Australia, to go through passport control and immigration I had a bit of trauma from three years ago,” Djokovic told Herald Sun.
“And some traces still stay there when I’m passing passport control, just checking out if someone from the immigration zone is approaching. The person checking my passport – are they going to take me, detain me again, or let me go? I must admit I have that feeling.
“I don’t hold a grudge. I came right away the year after and I won. My parents and the whole team were there and it was actually one of the most emotional wins I’ve ever had, considering all that I’d been through the year before,” he added.
The Serbian had a poor season last year experiencing his first Slam-less season in seven years. To bolster his performance, he recently added former player Andy Murray to his coaching team, who will join him for the upcoming Grand Slam event.
As a 10-time Australian Open champion, he faces stiff competition from rising stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are considered his main rivals in the tournament.
The Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Nicknamed “The Happy Slam,” the Australian Open is one of the oldest and most prestigious tennis competitions in the world. It was first held in 1905.
