"I have never experienced something like this in my career and my life" - Djokovic on the emotional toll from his Australian Open visa saga
ATP
Novak Djokovic has revealed that the scars of his 2022 Australian Open controversy did not end with the tournament, but stayed with him for months after the incident in January.
The Serbian tennis great stated that his family also experienced a lot of pressure from the outside world. Djokovic was deported from Australia after days of legal proceedings and faces a three-year ban from entering the country. The Serb played just one tournament (in Dubai) until April and made a comeback on tour during the European clay-court swing.
Read also
The 21-time Grand Slam champion, who is working on his Paris Masters title defense this week, spoke to Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj on the sidelines of the tournament and opened up about the Australian Open saga that continued for much longer than expected and affected his family. He declared that the experience was very unusual for him.
"Months after Australia I was really emotionally challenged," Djokovic said. "All the stuff that was happening off the court, people's pressures on me and my family has been tremendous. I have never experienced something like this in my career and my life, and it was very unusual. I tried to deal with it in the best possible way."
Read also
The Serb said that he expected to leave the Australian Open ordeal behind in Australia, but it stayed with him long after he left the country, went back home, and even during the first few months of the European swing. Apart from being asked about it time and again, he said that he could even hear people in the stands talking about his coronavirus vaccination controversy while he played matches.
"When I came back to Europe from Australia, I thought it was behind me and I'll move on, but it really wasn't ended there," added the 35-year old. "It just kept going for months and months, people would ask me about it all the time. You can hear people in the stands or in the city mentioning those things."
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
claps 1visitors 1
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Either Lena has a chronic internal ailment (i.e., colitis, enteritis, Crohn's, or some type of lower abdomen issue) -- or she is once again dealing with 'Vukovitis'. Mental stress can indeed cause lower body pains. No matter... whatever is truly going on sucks. "Virus" excuse is getting a bit old -- and often -- at this point.
mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026 - Wtf? Why is there no reason? And what about the men's?Bel08-11-2026
- One step by another step -- WTA continues to 'lose the plot'. Too many hi-tech microphones being installed at most venues!!! Remove them (especially those along the hallways, sidewalks, and pathways throughout the venues. Not to mention (most of all) remove the mic's from the Players/Coaches Box.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Don't you just love this young lady!? We fans often expect athletes to be supermen and superwomen, often forgetting that they WILL GET TIRED! I love Alex's perspective. Tiredness for an athlete should never be viewed as a negative, especially if you are healthy, taking care of your body and mental health and putting in the work. What a mature perspective. Good for you, Alex!Rapunzel05-11-2026
- Jess is absolutely correct! But the disrespect is a trait I have noticed in most of the Russian players. Mirra is good but very immature and lacks humility. Conceivable needs to get a handle on that!Rapunzel05-11-2026








