Novak Djokovic allayed injury fears as he crushed Roberto Carballés Baena in a dominant first round Australian Open victory in front of a celebratory Melbourne crowd.
One year on from the visa debacle that forced him to be deported from Australia for his unvaccinated status, Djokovic put on a late night show at the Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic clinically dispatched his Spanish opponent 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 in just over two hours on his favourite court in tennis and was cheered on throughout by fervent fans.
There had been some concerns about the reception Djokovic would receive in Australia after the deportation storm 12 months ago, but he has been welcomed back with open arms by Aussie tennis supporters, and Serbian flags dominated the setting of his routine first round triumph.
Targeting his 10th Australian Open title, Djokovic was in awe with the support he was shown after wrapping up a typically comfortable straight sets win.
“Unbelievable atmosphere, thank you so much for staying this late, everybody," he said. "Also thank you for giving me such a welcome and a reception I could only dream of. I really feel very happy that I’m back in Australia, back here, on the court where I had the biggest success in my career.
“Definitely this court is the most special court in my life, and I couldn’t ask for a better start in the tournament. So thank you for your support, I appreciate it, thank you very much.
“I guess the more you win on a certain court, the more comfortable and confident you feel every next time you step on it. That’s probably one of the reasons I’ve been fortunate to win a lot of matches on this court, particularly in the night sessions."
While the build-up to the tournament has focused around Djokovic's return Down Under, the 35-year-old's fitness has also been a worry amid uncertainty whether he would be able to train sufficiently before his first round match.
The overwhelming tournament favourite had issues with his left thigh at a warm-up event in Adelaide ten days ago and had his left leg strapped as he entered the court to a rousing reception.
But there were no such troubles as Djokovic looked back at home in a tournament he has remarkably not lost a match in since 2018. The world No.5 was in cruise control with good movement and dominated the baseline battle against gutsy clay court specialist Carballés Baena at Melbourne Park.
“I’m very, very pleased with the way I played in the third set," Djokovic added. "You know, I didn’t give him too much chance to breath from the back of the court. I served very well.
"Second set was kind of going up and down, but credit to him for fighting, he’s a great guy, we train a lot in Spain, and it was his first match on Rod Laver so he deserves a big round of applause.”
Djokovic will face either Enzo Couacaud or Hugo Dellien in the next round on Wednesday and remains on course for a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam crown.
