The current World no. 6, Rafael Nadal, has been really vocal about the whole Novak Djokovic visa fiasco. After the recent judgement in favor of Novak, Rafa made his feelings clear that he’s happy for the Serb. Earlier, Nadal had criticized some of the decisions made by Novak and highlighted the importance of listening to medical experts.
#UPDATE Rafael Nadal believes "justice has spoken" and "it is the fairest thing" for Novak Djokovic to play in the #AustralianOpen2022 following the decision of a judge pic.twitter.com/4ZNIv1wYby
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 10, 2022
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“Regardless of whether or not I agree with Djokovic on some things, without any doubt, Justice has spoken,” Nadal said. He wants Djokovic to compete on the tennis court, as he said that everything is better “when the best players are on the court competing.”
He also jokingly said, “On a personal level, I much prefer that he not play,” as Djokovic will be his main rival, as they both look to grab their 21st Grand Slam titles. In the end, he wished him good luck as well.
Watch The Story: Rafa and Novak’s best off-court moments
Novak Djokovic finally responses after the verdict
After reaching Australia, Novak Djokovic suffered a lot of backlash from the media regarding his vaccination status. On Monday, judge Anthony Kelly ordered the authority to release Novak from the detention.
He has finally responded on Twitter, as he wrote, “I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete at the Australian Open. I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans.”
I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened,I want to stay and try to compete @AustralianOpen
I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. 👇 pic.twitter.com/iJVbMfQ037— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 10, 2022
He also thanked all of his fans for staying with him throughout the whole process. He wrote, “For now I cannot say more but THANK YOU all for standing with me through all this and encouraging me to stay strong.”
Nadal vs Djokovic is on the cards again?
Rafael Nadal started 2022 pretty well by winning a title in Melbourne. He beat Maxime Cressy in the final by 7-6, 6-3 to win his 89th career title, which is quite an achievement considering all the injuries he has had in the past. It’s safe to say, the Spaniard got enough match practice before the Australian Open, which is scheduled to begin from the 17th of January.
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Meanwhile, Novak hasn’t had any match practice since his arrival in Australia. The Serbian was in detention for a few days now, while other players were participating in various tournaments. The battle for the 21st Grand Slam title will begin soon, and maybe we will see them in the final facing each other.
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Will Novak win his 21st Grand Slam in Australia?
Read More: Novak Djokovic Might Suffer Another Setback After Winning Court Battle in Australia