Djokovic could face the Demon in Dubai

Alex de Minaur will face world No.1 Novak Djokovic at the Dubai Tennis Championships if both win their respective opening round match.

Djokovic will play Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the Serbian's first match since he was deported from Australia in January over his COVID-19 vaccination status.

The 34-year-old Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, was deported after an 11-day roller coaster involving two visa cancellations, two court challenges and five nights in two stints at an immigration detention hotel where asylum seekers are held.

Dubai tournament director Salah Tahlak said the organisers of the ATP 500 event had no concerns about the top seed's vaccination status.

"The government here does not require someone to be vaccinated to enter the country," Tahlak told Eurosport.

The United Arab Emirates is gradually lifting COVID-related restrictions.

Spectators at the tennis will be required to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, tournament organisers said on their website.

If, as expected, Djokovic beats world No.57 Musetti, he will advance to a showdown with Australia's highest-ranked male de Minaur or Russia's Karen Khachanov.

The tournament, which also features top-10 players Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner, starts on Monday.

The men's competition follows the WTA portion of the tournament, with 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko taking on Veronika Kudermetova in the women's final.