John Riordan: Wildcard baller Jokić finally emerges from NBA pack

The Serb has led the Nuggets to NBA Finals, a first for the Denver franchise.

THINGS TO DO IN DENVER: Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets has earned MVP awards and a record-breaking contract. Picture: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic will return to compete in the US later this summer for the first time since 2021 after the government here lifted the Covid-19 vaccine mandate on international travellers.

Infamously, he wore his status like a badge of honour so he was an easy one to spot and stop. But now he will return to a different sort of reception, emphatically dethroned as America’s most beloved Serbian sporting star.