Rafa Nadal is taking no pleasure from the absence of great rival Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, even if it means he has a clearer shot at the Grand Slam title record.

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic arrived back home in Belgrade Monday after his deportation from Australia over his coronavirus vaccination status demolished his dream of earning a record 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne.

Rafael Nadal launched his bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title Monday in blistering fashion -- a far cry from his "ugly" predicament one month ago and recent injury problems.

Novak Djokovic was heading home to Serbia on Monday after his deportation from Australia over its required COVID-19 vaccination ended the No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player’s hopes of defending his Australian Open title.

A nervous Naomi Osaka opened the defence of her Australian Open title with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 win against Colombia's Camila Osorio, but stumbled mid-match after winning the first five games.

Rafael Nadal’s bid to win a record 21st Grand Slam when the Australian Open begins Monday has been given a huge boost by the absence of fellow history-chaser Novak Djokovic.

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic flew out of Australia on Sunday after a court upheld the government's decision to cancel his visa, capping days of drama over the country's COVID-19 entry rules and his unvaccinated status.

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic said in a statement on Sunday that he was "extremely disappointed" with the decision to cancel his visa to enter Australia, but would cooperate with the authorities in relation to his departure from the country.

Novak Djokovic lost his final bid to avoid deportation from Australia on Sunday, ending a sensational 11-day battle over his Covid-19 vaccination status and dashing his dream of a record 21st Grand Slam.

Novak Djokovic's lawyers painted Australia's effort to deport him as "irrational" and "unreasonable" Sunday, in an eleventh-hour bid to reinstate the tennis star's visa and allow him to remain in the country to defend his Australian Open crown.

Clinging to his dream of winning a record 21st major title at the Australian Open, tennis world number one Novak Djokovic returned to an all too familiar immigration detention hotel on Saturday, waiting for a court to decide if he should be deported.

Naomi Osaka declared Saturday she was fully fit and ready to defend her Australian Open title, a week after pulling out of a warm-up event because her "body got a shock" from playing for the first time in four months.

Australia detained Novak Djokovic for a second time on Saturday, calling the tennis star a threat to public order and fighting in court to deport him.

Australia cancelled Novak Djokovic’s visa on the grounds his presence in the country might excite anti-vaccination sentiment, and not because he posed a health threat being unvaccinated against COVID-19, his lawyers told a court on Friday night.

Australia's government cancelled Novak Djokovic's visa for a second time Friday as it sought to deport the tennis superstar after he arrived in the country without a Covid-19 vaccine.

Novak Djokovic had put the Australian Open at risk and made other tennis players "look like fools" after travelling to Australia unvaccinated, world number four Stefanos Tsitsipas said Thursday.

Novak Djokovic on Wednesday admitted "errors" in his travel papers and in not isolating after a claimed coronavirus infection, as he battled to stay in Australia and fight for a record 21st Grand Slam

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic trained at the Australian Open venue Tuesday in search of a record 21st Grand Slam but his dream hung in the balance as the government pondered cancelling his visa, again.

World tennis number one Novak Djokovic was released from Australian immigration detention on Monday after winning a court challenge to remain in the country, but the government said it was still considering another move to deport him.

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic said on Monday he was hoping to still compete in the Australian Open, hours after winning a stunning victory over the Australian government in his visa battle.