Novak Djokovic admits he is struggling to forget how his deportation from Australia made him feel as he returned Down Under ahead of next month's Australian Open.
Djokovic will compete at Melbourne Park a year on from the saga which gripped the sporting world and saw him issued with a three-year ban from entering the country.
The Serbian, famously unvaccinated from Covid-19, was found to have breached entry regulations when he arrived in Australia at the start of this year and was housed in a detention centre before ultimately being deported.
His ban from entering Australia was lifted last month and he is free to compete at Melbourne Park where he is bidding to equal Rafael Nadal's record haul of 22 Grand Slam titles.
And while Djokovic has spoken of his fondness for Australia, he admits a sour taste has been left by his experience.
"You can't forget those events, it's one of those things that stick with you," he said. "It stays with you for the rest of your life. It's something I've never experienced before and hopefully never again, but it is a valuable life experience for me.
"But I have to move on and coming back to Australia speaks about how I feel about this country and how I feel about playing here.
"What happened 12 months ago was not easy to digest for some time but at the same time I had to move on. Those circumstances will not replace what I have lived in Melbourne and in Australia throughout my entire career.
"So I come with positive emotions and I really look forward to playing there. It's been my favourite Grand Slam, the results prove that."
Djokovic will begin his preparations for the Australian Open by playing in the Adelaide International beginning on New Year's Day and hopes to receive a warm reception from the locals.
"It's a great place and the people in Adelaide, and generally in Australia, love tennis, love sports and it's a sporting nation so hopefully we're going to have a lot of people watching and we can have a good time," he added.
"I'm hoping everything is going to be positive. Obviously, it's not something that I can predict. I'll do my best to play some good tennis and bring good emotions and good feelings to the crowd."
