"Great to have him back" says Dubai Tennis Championships director on Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is set to return to tennis in Dubai where he will play his first event this year after getting deported from Australia.

The five-time champion of the event has not played any competitive tennis this year in the wake of his detention and deportation from Australia. The UAE does not require visitors to show any proof of vaccination, although visitors must produce a negative result of an RT-PCR test conducted no more than 48 hours before arrival.

Tournament Director Salah Tahlak said of Djokovic coming to Dubai:

“I think it’s great to have him back because he is the number one player in the world. He has been our former champion and, for this city and this tournament, it’s absolutely great to have him back. I think we have to always be positive. Dubai is a positive city. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed is always positive.”

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Djokovic has not publicly talked since his deportation from Australia nor did he release any statement about his participation in Dubai. The event is sold out which seems to indicate fans can't wait to welcome the reigning number one in the world. It's an important event for Djokovic who could lose his spot on the top of the rankings depending on what Medvedev does in Acapulco.