Five-time Dubai champion Novak Djokovic to return at ATP 500 event

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is scheduled to return at the ATP 500 event in Dubai in three weeks, organizers announced.

Tournament CEO Colm McLoughlin said the event was "delighted" to have "Novak back in Dubai for the 12th time," a location where he has won five titles.

It is the first event Djokovic has signed up to play since he was refused entry into Australia three weeks ago because of his vaccination status. The country requires travelers to be vaccinated against coronavirus unless they have received a valid medical exemption.

Djokovic had secured an exemption from the state government and Tennis Australia based on recently having had the virus, but it was turned down by the federal government upon his arrival in Australia. The episode rapidly became a global news story and amid growing confusion, controversy and concerns he had broken isolation requirements following a positive test, he was eventually declared a threat to public order and required to leave just before the Australian Open began. He has won the Melbourne major a record nine times and would have been the top seed.

Since then, there have been questions about other events Djokovic could have problems playing, especially with an increasing amount of countries requiring vaccination. But Dubai is not among them, which will allow Djokovic to participate in the event and make his 2022 season debut. Djokovic last appeared on court at the 2021 Davis Cup Finals, where he won all eight of his singles sets to guide Serbia to a semifinal finish.

The 34-year-old joins Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jannik Sinner, Denis Shapovalov and reigning champion Aslan Karatsev in the field.