STILL NO VAX

Back in Australia, Novak Djokovic Says He Wants to ‘Move On’ From Deportation Row

The Serbian No 1 is back Down Under after the government lifted a three-year ban.

Novak Djokovic says he will never forget the experience of being deported from Australia after ignoring strict COVID-19 vaccination laws. But almost 12 months later, back in Australia for the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, he says he just wants to “move on’” and get playing again after the government dropped its vaccine demands and lifted his three-year ban. “It’s great to be back in Australia,” he told reporters Thursday in Adelaide, where he plays a warm-up event next week before going for a record 10th win in the Australian Open in Melbourne. “Obviously what happened 12 months ago was not easy for me, for my family, team, anybody who is close to me,” he added. “You can’t forget those events. It’s one of these things that stays with you for I guess the rest of your life. It’s something that I’ve never experienced before and hopefully never again. But it is a valuable life experience for me and something that as I said will stay there, but I have to move on.”