BELGRADE, Serbia — Novak Djokovic, undone in his quest for a 10th Australian Open tennis championship by his decision to remain unvaccinated against Covid-19, returned on Monday to the warm embrace of his home nation of Serbia even as his future in the sport was shrouded in uncertainty.
He landed in Belgrade a day after being deported from Australia following a decision by the Australian government to revoke his visa out of concern that he might inspire anti-vaccination sentiment.
As he slipped out a private exit at Nikola Tesla International Airport in Belgrade to avoid a crowd of waiting reporters, nearly two weeks of legal wrangling, political posturing and intense media focus came to a rather subdued end.