A year after being deported from Australia for being unvaccinated against Covid-19 – and by effect deemed a ‘threat to public health’ – tennis superstar Novak Djokovic slammed to victory at the Australian Open on Sunday. The victorious Serb beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in Melbourne to win the tournament; in the process clinching his 22nd Grand Slam Title, and reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking from Carlos Alcaraz.
After setbacks which could have kept him down, the win leaves a starry-eyed Djokovic level with long-standing rival, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, and quite literally, on top of the world. But more than that, the victory afforded the tennis icon a chance to savour the sweet taste of revenge, played out in a country whose authorities treated him with contempt for his medical status only a year ago. His supporters are savouring the triumph which was literally impossible for Djokovic because of his vaccination status only 12 months ago.
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