Belgrade, Serbia - Novak Djokovic described his detention and deportation from Australia that prevented him from defending his Australian Open title as an "unfortunate event" and thanked the Serbian president for his support.
The 11-day saga over Djokovic's entry visa ended with Serbs being deported for failing to meet Australia's strict COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
The top-ranked tennis star met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday and described the events in Australia as "unexpected, to say the least".
“I wanted to meet you today because, primarily as a citizen of Serbia, I felt a great need to thank you for the great support that you, as President of Serbia, have had, as well as during the unfortunate events Gave it to all state institutions. In Australia," Djokovic said.
“Although I was alone in custody, and faced many problems and challenges, I did not feel alone. I mainly felt my family, all the people close to me in my life, the whole Serbian nation, many people with good intentions. Got huge support from the region and the world."
He did not divulge details of events in Australia, promising to deliver his "version" later.
Djokovic's meeting with the increasingly despotic Vucic drew criticism from some of his fans in the Balkan country, where he is generally regarded as an icon and a hero. Critics say Vucic used the event to boost his popularity ahead of the general election in April.
The meeting came a day after Serbia's state prosecutors dismissed suggestions by some Western media that Djokovic used a fake positive test for COVID-19 to try to enter Australia.
To enter Australia, Djokovic submitted a positive test issued in Serbia on 16 December for a visa waiver on the grounds that he had recently recovered from the virus.
He has not been vaccinated, and the Australian government later decided to revoke his visa and deport Djokovic, saying his presence in Australia could spark anti-vaccination sentiments.
Djokovic's rival, Rafael Nadal, won the Australian Open for a record 21st men's Grand Slam singles title. Djokovic and Roger Federer have 20 big titles to their name.
Vucic praised Djokovic and said he was certain he would beat Nadal and Federer at the upcoming French Open and Wimbledon - Grand Slams where Djokovic could also face sanctions for not being vaccinated