"We all see how Novak Djokovic wants people to love him - how he tries to do everything for this, but it does not work" - Daria Kasatkina

Daria Kasatkina has claimed Novak Djokovic tries hard to be loved by fans but argued his attempts do not work because the "pretense is visible." The WTA star also said it would have been "unpleasant" for players if the men's World No. 1 was allowed to play at the Australian Open.

Djokovic was forced to miss this year's Australian Open due to his deportation from the country, after a two-week saga over his visa and vaccination status. He is a nine-time winner of the Melbourne Grand Slam and had triumphed three straight times from 2019 to 2021.

Kasatkina is currently ranked 24th in the world, having reached a career-high WTA position of No. 10 in October 2018. The 24-year-old posted a strong 8-3 record from three events in Australia last month to start the season.

In an interview with Eurosport, Kasatkina suggested the Serb's efforts to receive adoration from fans have been unsuccessful, while comparing him to his great rival Rafael Nadal.

"We all see how he wants people to love him," Kasatkina said. "How he tries to do everything for this, but it does not work. Because in the end it still feels like something is not right. Rafa is real: he doesn't hit rackets because he just hasn't done it since childhood. He splashes out emotions in a different way: the same 'vamos' of his is adored by many. Few people like it when people try to seem like they are not. The pretense is visible."

The Russian then declared it would have been unfair to other players at the 2022 Australian Open if the 20-time Major winner had been allowed to compete.

"I will say this: it would be unpleasant for the players if Djokovic was allowed to play [at the Australian Open]," Kasatkina added. "Because we all made some kind of sacrifice: we accepted the rules of the game in order to play. Novak wanted to go his own way. If he was allowed to play with all the set of absurdities that eventually turned out, it would not be fair to the players."

Novak Djokovic to return at Dubai Championships next week

Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the 2020 Dubai Championships

Novak Djokovic will return to action and play in his first tournament of the year at the 2022 Dubai Championships next week. The 34-year-old has not competed since helping Serbia reach the semifinals of the 2021 Davis Cup Finals in Madrid in December.

The Serb has won the ATP 500 tournament five times and holds a 41-6 record at the event. He defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the 2020 edition in his last appearance in Dubai.