Watch: Novak Djokovic receives warm reception from Dubai crowd after he steps on court for the first time since December

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic received a warm reception from the crowd in Dubai when he stepped on to the court for his first match since December.

The Serb finished 2021 by playing in the Davis Cup, losing in the semifinals as part of the Serbian team. His 2022 season began in far from ideal fashion as he was involved in a controversy over his visa and vaccination statusthat led to him being deported from the country. Djokovic thus could not defend his title at the 2022 Australian Open.

The 34-year-old returned to action at the Dubai Tennis Championships and received a warm ovation from the crowd when he stepped onto the court for his match against Lorenzo Musetti.

Djokovic started the match well and broke Musetti to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set. This turned out to be decisive as he took the set 6-3. The Serb broke early in the second set and went on to win it 6-3 to seal his place in the next round.

After the match, Djokovic stuck around to take pictures with the fans as they were chanting "Nole, Nole, Nole". The World No.1 said that he could not have asked for a better reception from the crowd.

"I couldn't ask for a better reception," Djokovic said. "I couldn't pick a better place to kick-start the season. All in all it was a very pleasant experience for me."

Djokovic also said that he was satisfied with how he played after being out of action for a while.

“All in all, it’s a straight-sets win, so of course I have to be satisfied with my tennis, especially after not playing for two-and-a-half, three months," the World No.1 said. "Of course, there were moments when I played great, there were moments when I made a couple of unforced errors in a row uncharacteristically. But it’s normal to expect that [in my] first match after a while."

Novak Djokovic will face Alex de Minaur or Karen Khachanov in the second round

Novak Djokovic takes on De Minaur or Khachanov in the next round

After beating Musetti, Djokovic will now take on either Alex de Minaur or Karen Khachanov in the second round. Provided De Minaur beats the Russian, it will be his first match against the World No.1.

Djokovic and Khachanov have faced each other on five previous occasions, with the former winning four times. The only time Khachanov beat him was in the final of the 2018 Paris Masters, winning 7-5, 6-4 to clinch his only Masters 1000 title till date.

Regardless of who he faces, Djokovic will be the favorite to advance to the quarterfinals where his projected opponent is Roberto Bautista Agut, who recently won his tenth ATP title in Doha.

The Serb is the heavy favorite to win the Dubai Tennis Championships this year but the likes of Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner and Hubert Hurkacz are also capable of challenging for the tournament. Provided that Djokovic wins, it will be his sixth title in Dubai.

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Also Check Out: Dubai Tennis Championships Results 2022