"Ready to take on all the contenders here" - Adelaide International director Alistair MacDonald on Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has arrived in Adelaide ahead of his first assignment of the 2023 season, the Adelaide International 1. The Serb could not compete in the 2022 Australian Open after failing to comply with Australia's vaccination requirements. He was subsequently deported and received a three-year visa ban from the country.
However, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles overturned the Serb's visa ban, thus allowing him to compete in Australia.
Novak Djokovic will start his 2023 season at the Adelaide International 1 and the tournament's director Alister MacDonald is delighted to see him compete. While speaking to Channel 9, MacDonald stated the Serb looked in good touch and appeared ready to take on all the contenders.
"He looked fantastic today," said MacDonald. "He's arrived in Adelaide ready to take on all the contenders here. We're really looking forward to him, he's looking sharp and his team's thrilled to be in Adelaide. He knows Adelaide pretty well, he knows what to expect, the conditions are pretty similar to Melbourne. So I think his whole team is really, really happy to be here in Adelaide."
"Obviously, he's got a big team around him, he's very particular about the way he prepares and even today, being on the court for the first time, you really get a sense for the preparation that goes into each and every training session, and he's also very particular about his food. So, we're just making sure that he can get a good vegan feed and the team's been excellent so far."
The 'big guns' are arriving here for the Adelaide International, but biggest of all, Novak Djokovic has had his first hit-out today.
Tournament Director Alistair MacDonald chats with @EdwardGodfrey9 about how Djokovic is preparing. #9News https://t.co/NN4CoORGCV
"Good for tennis" - Rafael Nadal welcomes Novak Djokovic back to Australia
Novak Djokovic's return to Australia was well received by some of his colleagues, with Rafal Nadal claiming that the Serb's presence was good for tennis and the fans.
"Novak is here. Good for tennis. Good for probably the fans. Let's see, no? Best players on the court always win," the Spaniard said in his press conference ahead of the United Cup.
Local boy Alex de Minaur stated that he was it was 'great' to see the 35-year-old back in his country.
"Yeah, it's great to have him back," said the 23-year-old. "Obviously as any athlete, you want to be competing against the best in the world. It's good to have him back. Ultimately as an athlete, you don't want to be winning matches when the best in the world aren't playing. So it's great to have the competition back, great to see him back."