Novak Djokovic makes Australian Open return with practice match against Daniil Medvedev at Rod Laver Arena

A year after his controversial deportation from Down Under ahead of the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic made a return to the Rod Laver Arena with a practice match against Daniil Medvedev on Wednesday.

It was a repeat of the 2021 edition's final, where the Serb defeated Medvedev in straight sets to win his record-extending ninth title at the Melbourne Major.

Djokovic received a warm welcome from the appreciable crowd gathered at the arena to watch the two in action.

The "official" practice clash marks the first of many to come for the 21-time Grand Slam champion. He will face off against Nick Kyrgios in a couple of days as part of a charity series organized by the Australian Open.

$20 entry tickets for the match have already sold out and a packed stadium is expected to greet the World No. 5 and local favorite Kyrgios when they take the court on Friday.

Novak Djokovic seeded fourth at Australian Open, Daniil Medvedev seventh

2023 Australian Open practice sessions

When the 2023 Australian Open officially kicks off on January 16, Novak Djokovic will be the fourth seed, trailing behind Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Daniil Medvedev, meanwhile, will be the seventh seed, with Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime occupying the two spots between him and the Serb. American No. 1 Taylor Fritz will round out the top-8 spots.

The earliest Djokovic and Medvedev can meet at the Melbourne Major this year, therefore, is the quarterfinals.

Having missed the first Grand Slam of the year in 2022, the 35-year-old has no points to defend in 2023. However, Medvedev has 1,200 points at stake, having reached the final in the last edition. Despite taking the first two sets and being a break up in the third, the Russian fell to Rafael Nadal in the summit clash in a painful loss.

This time around, Djokovic comes into the tournament full of confidence after a blockbuster last few months, which saw him win the Tel Aviv Open, the Astana Open and the ATP Finals to close out the year. The former World No. 1 has begun the season in similar form, racing to the title at the Adelaide International 1 with a victory over Sebastian Korda in the final.

Medvedev was in action at the same tournament, falling to the 21-time Grand Slam champion at the semifinal stage. The Russian enjoyed a good tournament nonetheless, beating Lorenzo Sonego, Miomir Kecmanovic and Karen Khachanov along the way.