Rafael Nadal welcomes the decision to allow Novak Djokovic to play at Australian Open

After
the
news
came
that
Djokovic’s
ban
from
entering
Australia
was
overturned,
the
Serb
has
been
cleared
to
play
in
the
season’s
first
Grand
Slam
at
Melbourne.

Djokovic
was
at
the
centre
of
controversy
in
January
2022,
following
his
attempts
to
play
in
this
year’s
tournament
in
Melbourne
despite
being
unvaccinated
against
COVID-19,
and
the
21-time
Grand
Slam
winner
was
eventually
deported
after
having
his
visa
cancelled
on
public
health
grounds.

However,
Djokovic
recently
confirmed
he
will
be
free
to
play
in
the
2023
Australian
Open
after
his
three-year
ban
from
entering
the
country
was
overturned.

This
follows,
Australia’s
new
Immigration
Minister
Andrew
Giles’s
statement
that
with
a
significant
easing
in
pandemic
restrictions,
the
nine-time
champion
was
now
welcome
to
return.

Nadal
and
Djokovic
have
dominated
tennis
along
with
the
now-retired
Roger
Federer
for
much
of
the
last
two
decades,
and
the
Spaniard
was
pleased
to
hear
of
his
rival’s
availability
to
compete.

“I
always
said
the
same;
tennis
is
better
when
the
best
players
are
on
the
court,”
he
said.

“At
the
end
we
don’t
have
to
create
many
stories.
Even
if
it
was
a
big
mess
what
happened
last
year
in
Australia,
it
wasn’t
good
for
our
sport.

“That
was
the
past.
Roger
is
not
playing
any
more.
I
missed
a
lot
of
Grand
Slams
with
injuries.
Last
year,
Novak
was
not
able
to
play
there.

“That’s
the
past.
What’s
next
is
Novak
will
be
able
to
play
again.
That’s
the
best
news
possible,
especially
knowing
that
now
the
virus
is
more
under
control
it
seems
around
the
world.
So
why
not?
Happy
for
him.
Happy
for
the
tournament.
Happy
for
the
fans.
That’s
it.”

At
Turin,
Nadal,
the
top
seed
in
the
event
in
the
absence
of
injured
world
No.1
Carlos
Alcaraz,
had
opened
by
losing
his
first
two
matches
in
the
Green
Group.
He
was
already
eliminated
when
he
faced
Ruud,
who
won
his
first
two
matches
to
book
a
semi-final
spot.

“I’ve
been
practising
well,”
said
Nadal,
who
was
struggled
with
injury
since
scratching
from
the
Wimbledon
semifinal
in
July.

“Just
probably
not
enough
matches
to
be
at
the
level
that
I
needed
to
be.
Not
enough
confidence,
probably,
after
six
tough
months.
That’s
how
it
is.
I
accept
that
the
season
didn’t
end
the
way
that
I
wanted.
At
least
I
finished
with
a
positive
victory.”

Nadal,
who
sits
second
in
the
rankings,
said
he
was
happy
with
a
season
in
which
he
won
the
first
two
Grand
Slam
titles
—
in
Australia
and
at
Roland
Garros.

“I
can’t
ask
for
more,”
said
Nadal.
“2022
has
had
a
tough
six
months,
two
Grand
Slams,
and
finishing
the
year
in
a
high
spot
in
the
rankings.

“At
my
age,
to
be
able
to
achieve
and
be
competitive
means
a
lot
for
me.”

Nadal
already
has
the
2023
season,
which
begins
in
January,
in
his
sights.

“For
2023,
just
let’s
try
to
have
the
right
preparation,
work
the
proper
way
and
start
the
season
with
the
right
energy,
the
right
attitude,
to
reach
the
level
that
I
need
to
be
competitive
from
the
beginning.
Let’s
try
it,
I
am
excited
about
it.”

(With
inputs
from
Agencies)