Djokovic’s Honest Confession: Speaking Candidly About Trauma

Novak Djokovic has admitted that every visit to Melbourne continues to evoke trauma for him. Victoria’s Premier, Jacinta Allan, responded to his comments without much sympathy.

The Serbian tennis star revealed that each trip to Melbourne reminds him of the traumatic events surrounding his detention and deportation during the pandemic. Although Djokovic has achieved immense success in Australia, he still experiences unease when crossing the country’s border.

In January 2022, the then 37-year-old was forced to leave Australia after entering the country unvaccinated, violating the pandemic-era restrictions in place at the time. “I have to be completely honest. The last few times I’ve landed in Australia, I’ve felt trauma from three years ago while going through passport and immigration control. As I go through it, I check to see if someone from immigration is approaching,” Djokovic told the *Herald Sun*.

The nine-time Australian Open champion’s words prompted a quick response from Jacinta Allan. “Covid was hard for all of us. It didn’t matter who you were or what you did; it was a difficult time. The pandemic is behind us now, and I’m focusing on supporting the amazing Australian Open in 2025,” she summarized.

Djokovic has frequently revisited the events of 2022. In several interviews, he shared how he felt like a “villain” and recounted meeting others awaiting deportation for similar reasons during his time in detention.

The saga of Djokovic’s deportation lasted about two weeks. He later admitted that it took time for him to recover from the ordeal. “I stayed home for a few weeks, barely going out. The impact of that experience lingered for several months, and I didn’t know if it would affect my game,” he disclosed in an interview with *Channel Nine*.