The 35-year-old is scything his way through the Australian Open in a haze of righteous fury after being deported a year ago
Illustration: Matt Johnstone/The GuardianIllustration: Matt Johnstone/The Guardianhere was a familiar pitch to the noise from the crowd as Novak Djokovic emerged at Melbourne Park on Friday to walk himself through the largely ceremonial motions of a. There is a distinctive Djokovic sound these days: not exactly cheers or jeers but a kind of mixed static, a fuzz of generalised feelings, event glamour, gawp energy.
Djokovic went on to take his semi-final in straight sets against Tommy Paul of the US, who sounds like a composite YouTube frat-boy but is also an excellent mover and did manage to profit from some ragged unforced errors in the first set. At the time Australia demanded full vaccination for visitors or a cast-iron excuse. There was a maddening arrogance to Djokovic’s sloppy attempts – he is unvaccinated – to enter under a bogus medical exemption. His visa was cancelled. He was demonised by some, swept into much wider tides of social unrest and polarised politics.
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