Novak Djokovic at his 'peak', despite Australian Open ordeal

20-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

Novak Djokovic says he's at his 'peak', despite Australian Open ordeal

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 2/20/22

Last week, 20-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic said that he was committed to opting out of future events if they had COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Those could even include the springtime French Open and summertime Wimbledon, he noted.

On the heels of his dramatic ordeal in the land down under surrounding the 2022 Australian Open, Djokovic said Sunday that he felt like he was in a good place physically and mentally.

"It wasn't really difficult for me to pick up a racket and go out and practice the sport and just play," he told reporters, one day before the start of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis championship. "I'm as well prepared as I possibly can be."

The upcoming tournament will be the first for the world's top-ranked male tennis player since before the Australian Open.

According to the Associated Press, organizers "blocked most photographers and videographers" from Djokovic's news conference "without explanation" on Sunday. Additionally, security guards were "out in force" at Djokovic's practice, "questioning reporters who tried to grab a glimpse of him serving and swinging on the court".

The Serbian told reporters on Sunday that the events leading up to his ban from the Australian Open impacted him emotionally.

"There were lots of emotions after I came back from Australia," he said. "It was strange. I was disappointed, I was sad about the way it all has played out and the way I left the country."

Although Djokovic remains unvaccinated, he will compete in Dubai this week. Dubai authorities don't require visitors to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter.

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