Novak Djokovic returns to Serbia after deportation from Australia

Djokovic has an almost iconic status in Serbia, and many there felt he was poorly treated by Australia

Novak Djokovic after landing in Belgrade, Serbia (Darko Bandic/AP)

Novak Djokovic has returned home to his native Serbia after he was deported from Australia and prevented from defending his Australian Open tennis title.

A plane carrying the number one ranked player touched down in the capital on Monday, closing at least the first chapter in a dizzying drama that has resonance in the world of elite sports, Australian pandemic politics and the polarised debate over coronavirus vaccines.