By Alexander Cornwell

DUBAI (Reuters – Novak Djokovic said he was excited to start his 2022 season at Dubai after his return from Australia. He also stated that he would first congratulate Danil Medvedev, the U.S. Open champion, if the Russian finishes his two-year tenure at the top.

On Monday, the 34-year old Serbian will compete against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in his first Dubai Duty Free Championships match. Musetti is ranked 57th worldwide.

He said that “I’m as prepared as I can and eager to be back on tour,” during a Sunday press conference.

Djokovic said that he returned to training around 10 days after his deportation from Australia.

I did everything possible to position myself mentally and tennis-wise in the best way. “I’m so happy to be back playing tennis.”

Following an 11-day wait, the number-one tennis player in the world was evacuated from Australia. He isn’t vaccinated for COVID-19.

Djokovic stated that he was not anti-vaxxer, and that his decision to refuse vaccination stems from his uncertainty about how coronavirus vaccination might affect his performance.

Based on the performance of each individual player in their respective tournaments, Medvedev could be crowned world number 2 by Djokovic.

Djokovic stated, “Eventually it will happen. If it happens this week I’ll first be to congratulate him.”

Medvedev came in second at the Australian Open last month.