Novak Djokovic comment: Dubai comeback was a strange viewing experience

It was a curious experience watching Novak Djokovic’s belated first match of 2022.

While the world No 1 showed flashes of his brilliant best as he beat Italian teenager Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 6-3 at the Dubai Tennis Championships, all that had gone before weighed heavily on those looking on with a curious gaze.

Djokovic has long been fighting battles on and off the court few boasting his record of success should be confronting, yet the question marks hanging over him now have never been more pronounced.

Whatever happens next for Djokovic, his deportation from Australia last month after the government of the country declared his presence was liable to inflame anti-vaccine sentiment last a lasting mark on his legacy.

His delayed appearance in front of a TV camera to give his version of the events of last month to the BBC last week may have finally allowed him to move on, with his vow to accept he may miss much of the tennis year due to his stance on the coronavirus vaccine putting an end to the debate over whether he would alter his position on the issue.

Djokovic has also spoken well in his pre-tournament media duties in Dubai, yet when the talking stopped and his moment to return to the court came it was hard to forget everything we have lived through with him over the last few weeks.

Musetti, a rising star who took two sets off Djokovic at last year’s French Open, was a dangerous opening opponent for a player who has not played since Serbia’s Davis Cup exit on December 3rd, with the drama he has been through since then providing more than enough of a narrative for a TV mini-series.

In the end, Djokovic found a way to beat the talented Musetti, despite a tense game in the second set that saw him screaming at his box as he