Djokovic hails 'unbelievable atmosphere' as he wins on Australian Open return

The supportive signs and dozens of Serbian flags and loud chants of Novak Djokovic's nickname filled Rod Laver Arena, providing a warm welcome marking his return to the Australian Open - a tournament he has dominated in the past but one he could not enter a year ago.

Djokovic acknowledged the greeting with a quick wave of his left hand when he stepped out onto the court at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, then got down to business by playing quite well and only briefly showing a hint of trouble from the balky left hamstring that was heavily taped.

With his parents and brother in the stands at Melbourne Park for the first time since he won his first grand slam title there 15 years ago, Djokovic began the first-round match with an ace at 125 mph (201 kph). He held at love there, took control of that set with a 12-point run and was on his way to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 victory over 75th-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena that finished after midnight.

"Unbelievable atmosphere. Thank you so much for staying this late, everybody. Also, thank you for giving me such a welcoming and a reception I can only dream of," Djokovic told the crowd in an on-court interview. "I really feel very happy that I'm back in Australia and I'm back here on the court where I had the biggest success in my career."

Djokovic's participation is one of the chief story lines, perhaps the MAIN one, of the first grand slam tournament of 2023. That's because Djokovic never got to play a point last season at the site of nine of his major championships, because his visa was blocked and he was deported from Australia after a legal saga tied to his lack of any vaccination for COVID-19.

He never did get the shots and also missed the U.S. Open because of it. But Australia's government has since relaxed coronavirus-related restrictions, allowing Djokovic to come to the country, and also waived a rule that could have stopped him from getting in for three years following a visa revocation. He has insisted that whole episode in January 2022 deeply affected him but that he does not hold a grudge; there certainly did not seem to be any hard feelings toward him Tuesday.

Spectators who politely applauded Carballes Baena when he entered the stadium stood and roared for the 35-year-old Djokovic. A sing-song, soccer-style chant of "Ole, ole, ole, ole!" followed by the two-syllable moniker "Nole!" (pronounced NO-leh) echoed under the arena's closed retractable roof, and would be repeated over and over: during the warmup period; when Djokovic switched sides of the net after the first game; when he was in the midst of climbing out of a love-40 hole in the first set (the only three break points he would face all night); when he broke to lead 4-3 in the second; etc., etc., etc. There were more of those cheers at the end, and Djokovic smiled broadly.

Grading his play, Djokovic said he found he was "kind of going up and down" in the second set, but didn't give his opponent "too much chance to breathe" in the third.

This was not necessarily Djokovic at his absolute best, and he appeared to show some frustration early on when he kept glaring and muttering in the direction of coach Goran Ivanisevic and the rest of his entourage in the stands. But Djokovic did not necessarily need to be at his absolute best. He certainly produced strong enough tennis to take the initial step toward what he hopes will be a 22nd grand slam title to tie rival Rafael Nadal's record for the most in tennis history by a man.

Djokovic, who has spent more weeks at No. 1 in the ATP rankings than anyone, also has a chance to return to that spot after the upcoming two weeks; the person presently occupying that perch, Carlos Alcaraz, is sitting out the Australian Open with a leg injury.

Roberto Carballes Baena vs Novak Djokovic: as it happened

01:54 PM

Looking good for Novak

On this evidence, Djokovic is going to be incredibly hard to beat in Melbourne this year. Rafa Nadal looks compromised physically while there are questions hanging over many of his younger, unproven rivals.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was impressive in his first-round match but in reality we haven't seen anyone hit the level that Djokovic did tonight.

01:51 PM

Sit back and enjoy

01:50 PM

Positive reaction

As Djokovic highlighted in his post-match comments, he has been very well supported this evening by the crowd. There was some mystery about how he would be received after the drama of last year's deportation but on this evidence he’s back in the hearts of the crowd in Melbourne almost straight away.

01:47 PM

Incredible run

That's 22 straight victories at the Australian Open for Novak Djokovic.

Rafa owns Phillip Chatrier. Novak owns Rod Laver

01:45 PM

Reaction - Novak Djokovic

01:41 PM

Utter domination

Carballés Baena won just four points in that decider.

Four. In total.

01:40 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 6-0 Roberto Carballés Baena

I can barely keep pace with Djokovic here. It is nearly half past midnight in Australia so you can understand why he'd want this done quickly.

What a shot to bring up match point - a stinging forehand down the line.

There it is. Djokovic into the second round.

01:36 PM

Novak Djokovic* 6-3 6-4 5-0 Roberto Carballés Baena

Broken record maybe but there is no other player in the world who can attack their groundstrokes with the ferocity and consistency of Djokovic. It's just relentless.

He gets to 40-15 with another winner - his thirteenth of the set. He looks keen for a bagel (6-0) finish here.

Another break soon follows and Djokovic will serve for the match.

01:32 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 4-0 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Another huge Djokovic forehand leaves Carballés Baena sprawling. The former is operating at a level here very few others in this tournament will get to over the next couple of weeks.

Game Djokovic...again.

01:28 PM

Novak Djokovic* 6-3 6-4 3-0 Roberto Carballés Baena

It's 0-30....that's fourteen points in a row for Djokovic despite the extreme effort of Carballés Baena to get to a drop volley.

Makes that fifteen after yet more relentlessly clean hitting. Carballés Baena breaks the rot with a big serve but it's telling that a single point feels like a victory for him right now.

A delightful low volley from Djokovic gives him a double break in the third.

01:24 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 2-0 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Carballés Baena has a sort of glazed look on his face as Djokovic serves three aces in a row to get to 40-0. The fourth isn't quite an ace but it's good enough to draw an error from the Spaniard.

01:21 PM

Novak Djokovic* 6-3 6-4 1-0 Roberto Carballés Baena

Just like that, Djokovic is 0-30 up in the first game of the third set as he looks to press home his advantage. He gets to 0-40 with just a beautifully constructed point, pulling Carballés Baena from side to side before drawing the error.

He breaks to love...

01:16 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 0-0 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Carballés Baena knows his back is two the wall and he comes out swinging but it's too aggressive and just like that Djokovic has three set points.

The Spaniard nets. That's 14 out of 15 points in a row on serve for Djokovic and more importantly it's the second set.

01:12 PM

Novak Djokovic* 6-3 5-4 Roberto Carballés Baena

Carballés Baena needs to find something here to avoid a two-set hole and he does well to get the better of a long rally to get to 15-15.

Then an excellent backhand winner gives the Spaniard two game points. He needs only one - Djokovic will serve for the second set.

01:08 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 5-3 Roberto Carballés Baena*

The intensity has been cranked up a notch by Djokovic, who is back in his first-set rhythm all of a sudden and Carballés Baena can't keep pace.

Love hold. A welcome one for Djokovic.

01:04 PM

Novak Djokovic* 6-3 4-3 Roberto Carballés Baena

Djokovic looks like he wants to up the tempo but all credit to Carballés Baena, who is more than keeping him more than honest here.

Djokovic wins the rally of the match, with the players trading extraordinary blows from the back of the court as the Rod Laver Arena rises to its feet.

The Serb then gets the game to deuce with more cute work at the net. Is this his moment to crack Carballés Baena in this second set?

Yes. It. Is. Djokovic breaks after four deuces.

12:54 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 3-3 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Lovely tidy work at the net from Djokovic, who comes in behind a big forehand before a pair of neat volleys end the point. Moments later he's in again, this time drawing the error from Carballés Baena. This looks like a slight tweak in strategy.

Hold to 15 and Djokovic is back on track.

12:50 PM

Novak Djokovic* 6-3 2-3 Roberto Carballés Baena

Hmmm. Have we just seen the first sign of the Djokovic hamstring playing up there? He lunges forward to get to a Carballés Baena drop volley and is left hopping gingerly after the point. Something to keep an eye on.

He's soon moving okay again but an off-balance backhand and then a wayward forehand have him making his frustration very audible.

More errors from Djokovic give Carballés Baena the game. He's still only been broken once in this match.

12:44 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 2-2 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Carballés Baena is holding his own better in this set. He's pushing Djokovic harder in the long, grinding rallies and drawing errors from an increasingly frustrated Serb.

A big Djokovic serve gets him out of jail at 15-30 though and soon he's got game point. More fight from the Spaniard though and again Djokovic faces deuce.

An incredible whipped forehand and a backhand error from Carballés Baena - Djokovic holds.

12:36 PM

Novak Djokovic* 6-3 1-2 Roberto Carballés Baena

Carballés Baena gets to 40-0. It feels as if he's conceded the only way to compete here is to go for absolutely everything and hope his level holds. Risky strategy but that's going to the only way against Djokovic in this mood.

Hold to 15. Excellent from Carballés Baena.

12:33 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 1-1 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Bang. Bang. Bang. Successive flat backhands from Carballés Baena have even Djokovic backing up. I'm telling you this guy is playing well. It's just unfortunate he's doing it against arguably the best player ever.

Djokovic gets to 40-15 but Carballés Baena unleashes another huge backhand winner to keep himself in the game. Then a poor Djokovic smash gives the Spaniard hope and we're back to deuce. He's winning plenty of fans inside the Rod Laver Arena tonight.

Djokovic soon rallies though and we're all tied up in the second.

12:28 PM

Relentless

12:27 PM

Novak Djokovic* 6-3 0-1 Roberto Carballés Baena

Carballés Baena must keep doing what he's doing and pray for a drop in Djokovic's level. That doesn't seem to be coming though, as a huge forehand winner down the line at 15-15 suggests.

The Spaniard goes for a winner down the line on the backhand side but misses and Djokovic has a break point, which is saved by the gutsy Carballés Baena. He's soon punching the air after Djokovic goes long at deuce before a wide first serve gives him the hold.

12:20 PM

Novak Djokovic 6-3 0-0 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Djokovic's ability to control points is quite remarkable, considering how good the hitting has been from Carballés Baena. he manoeuvres the Spaniard at will to get to 30-0 before a huge forehand brings up three set points.

He thinks he's there with an ace but the net cord comes to Carballés Baena's rescue. Then Djokovic does ace and he takes the first set in just 42 minutes.

12:17 PM

Novak Djokovic* 5-3 Roberto Carballés Baena

Big striking from Carballés Baena with the new balls and he gets to 40-15 - you feel he needs this game not just for the set (obviously) but in the wider context of the match.

Djokovic gets back to 40-30 before the Spaniard gets a much-needed hold.

12:14 PM

What can he do?

Carballés Baena has done pretty well so far but unless Djokovic's level drops off he's going to be in trouble here.

12:12 PM

Novak Djokovic 5-2 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Carballés Baena drops short with a forehand and that's easy picking for Djokovic, who is really starting to find his groove now.

He wins his twelfth point in a row to get to 40-0 before netting an attempted drop shot and following that with a double fault.

No mistake on the next serve though as he stretches his lead to 5-2 in this first set.

12:08 PM

Novak Djokovic* 4-2 Roberto Carballés Baena

The heavy conditions are stopping the ball getting through the court which means shots that otherwise might be winners are being gotten back. It's making for long, energy sapping rallies but that's just how Djokovic likes it.

His ball striking is incredible and the pressure gets to Carballés Baena as he double faults at 0-30. The break soon follows - superb from Djokovic.

12:03 PM

Novak Djokovic 3-2 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Djokovic's blue getup means he's practically camouflaged in the court but Carballés Baena can see him clearly as he gets to 0-30 after some Djokovic errors to put some pressure back on the Serb.

And then another mistake from Djokovic...strange to see. Three break points for Carballés Baena. The first is saved, as is the second and the third.

Two more points and it's a wonderful hold for Djokovic. A switch flipped there after that momentary lapse to start the game.

11:56 AM

Novak Djokovic* 2-2 Roberto Carballés Baena

Carballés Baena soaks up powerful Djokovic groundstrokes to find a lovely forehand winner down the line. He gets to 40-0 before Djokovic pounces on a short second serve with a trademark cross-court backhand before a superb winner gets it back to 40-30.

More good defence from Djokovic, including skying a succession of excellent lobs, draws errors from the Spaniard and suddenly he has an early break point.

Excellent fighting from Carballés Baena follows though as he gets a vital hold.

11:48 AM

Novak Djokovic 2-1 Roberto Carballés Baena*

Superb work from Carballés Baena, who puts up an audacious lob before reading the Djokovic smash for an easy down-the-line winner. More of the same is going to be required - much more.

No messing from Djokovic though, who's showing an early keenness to get into the net here. Easy hold to 15.

11:44 AM

Novak Djokovic* 1-1 Roberto Carballés Baena

Carballés Baena wants a nerve settler here but Djokovic looks very, very sharp early on. He contorts his body to drive a backhand down the line to leave the Spaniard sprawling.

He fights back well though and gets on the board with a serve wide to Djokovic's forehand.

11:40 AM

Novak Djokovic 1-0 Roberto Carballés Baena*

The Serb gets his tournament underway with an ace down the middle - god help the rest of the players in Melbourne if can get that firing.

Some powerful hitting gets Djokovic to 40-15 before he tidies up the game with the minimum of fuss. His movement looks pretty good so far.

11:37 AM

Here we go

Novak Djokovic to serve first....

11:36 AM

Warm-ups

The players are out warming up ahead of this one. There is strapping on Djokovic’s leg.

11:32 AM

Extreme heat

As ever at this time of year, the weather in Melbourne has been asking questions of the players.

Play was stopped earlier today due to temperatures reaching up into the high 30s bringing into effect the tournament's Extreme Heat Policy. An hour or so later it then started raining. Changeable to say the least.

11:27 AM

Novak's back

The king is back. Novak Djokovic returns to the Australian Open for the first time since January 2021 as he looks for a fourth straight win in Melbourne - sort of.

The Serb was not present at last year’s event after his well-publicised deportation over his vaccine status but he’s a nine-time winner here and has not lost at this event since 2016.

Can Roberto Carballés Baena be the man to break the Djokovic stranglehold then? Well there is a chink of light for the word No 75, with Djokovic carrying a hamstring injury into the event.

He appeared for a training session on Monday with a heavily strapped left leg after cancelling an earlier scheduled court appearance, sparking fears he could be the latest star to withdraw from the event after the likes of Nick Kyrigos and Carlos Alcaraz.

"Well, I've been struggling with that a bit, to be honest, the last seven days," Djokovic told reporters of his injury on Saturday. "But it's hopefully not the major concern. So far I've been able to train, compete and play points, practice sets.

“So that's a positive sign. Obviously, I'm being a bit more cautious. I'm not going full out on the training sessions, conserving the energy for next week. Hopefully it won't cause an issue for me then."

Fingers crossed for team Djokovic then and indeed for the organisers, for whom the defection of another marquee star at this early stage would be a disaster.

Should his fitness hold, Djokovic should have few issues getting past Carballés Baena here as he eyes the chance to draw level with Rafael Nadal on 22 grand slam titles.

His opponent has never got beyond the third round of any major, with second-round exits here in 2019 and 2022 his best efforts.

All eyes on that Serb hammy now….