Novak Djokovic’s leading rivals have become increasingly impatient with the uncertainty hanging over the Australian Open draw and the cloud hanging over their sport.

“Honestly I’m little bit tired of the situation because I just believe that it’s important to talk about our sport, about tennis,” Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who is tied on 20 grand slam titles with Djokovic, told reporters at Melbourne Park, where the event will be played.

Nadal’s first grand slam match in more than seven months is on the horizon, he is coming back from a painful left foot problem that limited him to one tournament over the last half of last season and he contracted Covid in December.

Yet, the run-up to the year’s first grand slam has all been about Djokovic. At the pre-event news conference, Nadal spoke for many in the world of tennis.

“The Australian Open is much more important than any player,” Nadal said. “If he’s playing, finally, OK. If he’s not playing, the Australian Open will be a great Australian Open, with or without him.”

Unlike Djokovic, Nadal has taken the Covid-19 vaccinations.

German Alexander Zverev, the men’s world No.3, said the Serb might have been used as a political pawn by Australian authorities, something Canberra has denied.

“This is obviously not a nice thing for everyone, for him especially. But don’t question his legacy because of this,” Zverev said.

A Croatian tennis coach, who was among a handful of visitors granted a medical exemption for the Australian Open, told The Australian newspaper he had to leave the country because Djokovic had become a political target.

“Nobody can get politically stronger using my name, but Djokovic is such a high-profile player — that is why all of this is happening,” Filip Serdarusic, the brother and coach of world No.246 Nino Serdarusic, was quoted as saying from Zagreb.

Written with agency inputs