Novak Djokovic, the return. The Serb, world No. 1, prevented from lining up in Australia at the end of an incredible soap opera, for lack of a vaccine pass, launches his 2022 season in Dubai on Monday. With the mission in particular to prevent the Russian Daniil Medvedev from seizing the place of world No. 1.
While the Serb will make a delayed return to the United Arab Emirates, his rival Rafael Nadal will try to confirm his return to the fore in Acapulco after having offered himself a 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne at the end of January, a record for men.
The Spaniard had thus exceeded by one unit in the list of “Major” the Swiss Roger Federer, still convalescing, and therefore Djokovic, whose canceled participation in the Australian Open, against a backdrop of health protocols, had hit the headlines. .
Since his expulsion from Australia, Djokovic has rested in Serbia, with his family, and this week he broke his silence, for the BBC and then Serbian television. He is not “anti-vax”, he made it clear, but wishes to continue to “control what we inject” into his body.
He also said he was “ready to pay the price” for his convictions even if it should cost him his participation in the three other Major tournaments this season, namely Roland-Garros (May 22-June 5), Wimbledon (June 27- July 10), the US Open (August 29-September 11), and de facto the race for the record.
In Dubai, the n°1 can participate in the tournament because a vaccine against the coronavirus is not compulsory to enter the Emirates, where 895 new cases were announced on Thursday. Djokovic has already won the trophy five times in this competition where Andy Murray, the former Scottish world number 1, is also registered.
“Knowing that I was coming to Dubai, I had something to prepare, I had a goal. So, now that I’m here, I can say that I’m as prepared as possible and I’m excited to play on the circuit again,” “Djoko” said at a press conference on Sunday. .
After Dubai, he is on the entry list for the Indian Wells Masters 1000 (March 7-20), in the Californian desert. But he does not have the right to enter American territory without being vaccinated. “I can’t really choose right now. It’s really about where I can go and play. Wherever an opportunity arises, I will probably use it and go play because that’s always what I like to do,” said the Serb.
Watch out for Medvedev for the No. 1 spot
This Monday, Djokovic will find the young Lorenzo Musetti (19 years old, 57th in the world) who had given him a hard time in June in his quest for a second trophy at Roland-Garros. During the round of 16 in Paris, the Serbian champion had lost the first two sets before reversing the trend, then Musetti had finally given up in the fifth set (6-7, 6-7, 6-1, 6-0, 4 -0 b.).
For Djokovic, the challenge will also be to keep the chair of king of the ATP that the world No. 2, Medvedev, engaged in the Acapulco tournament, can delight him at the end of the week. The Russian can climb to the top if he wins the title in Mexico regardless of the result of “Djoko” in the Emirates.
“He deserves to be number 1,” Djokovic said of the Russian. If it happens this week, I will be the first to congratulate him…”. But the competition promises to be tough in Acapulco with, in addition to Nadal initially opposed to the American Reilly Opelka, very fit at the moment, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and the German Alexander Zverev.
For his part, Djokovic hopes to quickly find good feelings, he who has not played in competition since December 3 and a defeat in Madrid with Serbia against Croatia in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup. The Serb then participated in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi, the Mubadala WTC, beaten in the semi-final by Tsitsipas.