Australian Open: a year after his expulsion, Novak Djokovic in a reconquest operation in Melbourne

Hostilities have not yet begun and all eyes are already on him A year after being deprived of participation in the grand slam tournament in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic is back at the Australian Open which begins on Monday January 16, in the shoes of the big favorite, but above all with a spirit of revenge

The Serb, who is aiming for a tenth coronation in Melbourne, has kept the two weeks of imbroglio which had led to his expulsion across his throat From his arrival with "an exemption authorization", to the cancellation of his visa , through his hearings before the Australian Federal Court, Novak Djokovic has not forgotten anything

"It's one of the things that doesn't let go, that stays with you for, I guess, the rest of your life () I don't As a warm-up for Melbourne, Novak Djokovic started his season with a title, lifting the trophy in Adelaide after getting the better of Sebastian Korda in the final

The Serb has won 34 in a row on Australian soil, his last defeat dating back to the round of 16 of the 2018 Australian Open against South Korean Hyeon Chung his absences in Melbourne and the US Open linked to his vaccination status, he has the opportunity to move up the hierarchy

In the event of a new coronation, he could even recover first place from the hands of Carlos Alcaraz who, injured, could not make the trip to Australia Above all, he would return to the height of Rafael Nadal and his 22 Grand Slam titles

What reception in Melbourne? But the operation reconquest does not only concern the sporting aspect The image of the "Djoker" was seriously damaged by last year's episode, this arrival in Australia which was perceived as a forced passage, ignoring the rules established to limit the spread of Covid-19

The latter had refused to communicate his vaccination status, while a vaccine was compulsory to go to Melbourne His aversion to the sting earned him the unflattering nickname "Novax Djocovid"

But water flowed under the bridges and the pandemic has since slipped into the background Novak Djokovic was treated to a rather warm welcome in Australia

"I've only been here two days, but () everyone has been very pleasant, extremely nice to me, rejoiced the Serb in Adelaide I always felt very good in Australia, I always played my best tennis and I had a lot of support there

So I hope to live another great summer " The crowd sang his name and took to the game of autograph sessions

It remains to be seen how the audience will welcome him at the Open d'Azur Australia

The fear of a loud slingshot against the Serb is real In an interview with the Herald Sun on Wednesday, tournament director Craig Tiley warned those who intend to take Novak Djokovic from the stands: "If they disturb the pleasure of other spectators, boom, we expel them

" If he is not yet sure of having the spectators in his pocket, it is already done for what is organizers