Australian Open: I will ‘never forget’ my deportation, says Djokovic
Djokovic, 35, was detained and sent home in January due to his Covid-19 vaccine status after trying to enter the country to compete at the Australian Open.
But he overturned a three-year ban on applying for a visa in November and will compete in the 2023 tournament.
“It’s one of these things that sticks with you, it stays with you for I guess the rest of your life.
“It was something that I’ve never experienced before, and hopefully never again.”
The Serb admitted: “It is a valuable life experience for me. I have to move on. Coming back to Australia speaks how I feel about this country, how I feel about playing here.
“I was really hoping that I’m going to have my permission back to get back into Australia and play here because it’s a country where I’ve had tremendous success in my career.”
The 21-time grand slam champion has won nine Australian Open titles.