Craig Tiley: Novak Djokovic was feeling nervous about coming back to Australia

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley revealed he knew “Novak Djokovic was feeling nervous about coming back to Australia.”

Last year, Djokovic was detained and ultimately detained from Australia. 

In late 2022, Djokovic was informed he could return to Australia at the start of the 2023 season. 
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But there were many speculations regarding how Djokovic would be welcomed considering what happened 12 months earlier.

“This was a particularly emotional year for Novak. I could see the tension on his face when I saw him the first time. We had met a few times last year and I knew that he was feeling nervous about coming back to Australia. He was very nervous when he first arrived and flew directly into Adelaide. There was a lot of press and talk around him coming in and being booed,” Tiley said on the AO Show, per Tennis365.

Tiley praises the Australian crowd for supporting Djokovic 

Djokovic enjoyed a very triumphant return to Australia, winning back-to-back titles at the Adelaide International and Australian Open. 

The support and reception for Djokovic were pretty much good throughout his stay in Australia.

“You need to give credit to the Australian sporting public that enjoys the sport. We are the fairest in the world. When we are observing greatness, we respect it and cheer accordingly. That’s exactly what happened and he was really welcomed back. He went through a tough time last year for a number of different reasons, primarily driven by his own choice. But he came and once he got settled in Adelaide, South Australia did a magnificent job in welcoming him,” Tiley said.

Djokovic, 35, is now a record 10-time Australian Open champion.

By winning this year’s Australian Open, Djokovic tied Rafael Nadal on the all-time Grand Slam record list with 22 Grand Slams. 

In the spring, Djokovic will try to win the French Open and set a new record for the most Grand Slam titles.