Photo of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.© AFP
Rafael Nadal hit rival Novak Djokovic on Saturday as the world number one was expelled from Australia, saying: “The Australian Open is much more important than any player.” Before kicking off his first Grand Slam on Monday, Nadal told reporters at Melbourne Park: “The Australian Open is going to be a great Australian Open with or without him.” Djokovic is still in a draw to defend his title but faces deportation from the country earlier after the Australian government canceled his visa for the second time, calling him a threat to public order. add.
The lingering saga over whether the unvaccinated Serb can stay in the country has overshadowed the first Grand Slam of the year, where Djokovic and Nadal will both attempt to become the first to win. Enemy 21 majors.
Nadal said he respects Djokovic “as a human being, of course, and as an athlete, without a doubt”.
But the Spaniard added: “I really respect him, even if I disagree with a lot of the things that he did in the last few weeks.”
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And he says the controversy has dragged on too long.
“I think the situation has gone too far. Honestly, I’m a bit tired of the situation because I believe it’s important to talk about our sport, about tennis,” said Nadal.
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