Novak Djokovic was very nervous about returning to Melbourne but he was relieved to see a warm reception and Craig Tiley was glad about it.
Djokovic is the most successful tennis player in Australian Open history and no player ever played better in the Rod Laver Arena. He was warmly embraced one year after his infamous deportation from the country. It was something he'll remember for a long time as he was really worried about it.
This was a particularly emotional year for Novak. I could see the tension on his face when I saw him the first time. We had met a few times last year and I knew that he was feeling nervous about coming back to Australia. He was very nervous when he first arrived and flew directly into Adelaide. There was a lot of press and talk around him coming in and being booed.
Tiley spoke about Djokovic's return before it happened and he was adamant that the crowd would react positively and he was right. It was a relief for both him and Djokovic and he gave them credit for the way they handled it.
You need to give credit to the Australian sporting public that enjoys the sport. We are the fairest in the world. When we are observing greatness, we respect it and cheer accordingly. That’s exactly what happened and he was really welcomed back.
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