Lessons learned in Melbourne
MELBOURNE, Australia – Australian Open organizers said Tuesday they “deeply regret” the impact that the Novak Djokovic deportation saga had on other players and admitted there were “lessons to learn.”
The unvaccinated men’s world number one flew out of Melbourne on Sunday after he failed in a last-gasp court bid to stay and play in the opening Grand Slam of the year, where he was targeting a record 21st major title.
Djokovic is now back in Serbia with his image seriously damaged and his future unclear, including doubts on his French Open stint.
In its first comments on the matter, Tennis Australia said in a statement it respected the court decision and hoped the focus could now switch to action on the tennis court.
“As the Australian tennis family, we recognize that recent events have been a significant distraction for everyone and we deeply regret the impact this had on all players,” it said, without mentioning Djokovic by name.
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