World number one Novak Djokovic is set to return to the court in Dubai this week for the first time since the Australian Open debacle in which he was sent off ahead of the first Grand Slam event of the year.

Djokovic, 34, is set to face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in his first-round match on Sunday and has a tricky path to his sixth title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

He could face Roberto Baustista Agut or former Grand Slam winner Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals, rising Canadian stars Felix Auger-Aliassime or Denis Shapovalov in the semis and potentially second seed Andrey Rublev in the final.

Djokovic recently told the BBC he was ready to skip future Grand Slam tournaments to defend his vaccination status.

The world No. 1 remains 20 Grand Slam titles away, tied with Roger Federer and one behind Rafael Nadal’s 21, after being sent off ahead of the Australian Open for not being vaccinated. Nadal, 35, won the title.

“Nothing in life is guaranteed, but considering everything, I liked my chances in Australia this year,” Djokovic, who has won nine titles in Australia, told Serbian media. “I feel like I’m in my backyard at the Rod Laver Arena. Out of respect for Rafael Nadal who won and for all the other players, I dare not say that I would have won, but I think I had a good chance.

Despite a potential three-year deportation ban, he said he hoped to play against Australia again.

“I will always remember all the great things that happened to me in Melbourne,” he said. “I had a lot of great professional and personal moments there. Despite all that, I have a great connection with Australia. The results I had in Melbourne show you how I feel when I go there.

“Everything that happened this year was totally unexpected. It will be hard to forget, but I want to come back to Australia in the future and play at Rod Laver Arena again.

Some started calling him “No-vax,” but he said he understood there would always be criticism.

“I’ve been called by different names throughout my career, not just now,” he said. “There are always those who support you and others who don’t. That’s all I can say.”

He also left the door open that he could get vaccinated in the future, which would allow him to play the Sunshine Swing in Indian Wells and Miami, the French Open and the US Open without any obstacles.

“As an elite athlete, I want to triple check everything that goes into my body,” he said. just careful before making decisions, i take my time and i keep an open mind.i will live with the consequences.

Before the vaccination situation, many believed that Djokovic could end up with 25-26 majors, but that number could be impacted if he is unable to play certain events. Jim Courier has said he could see Djokovic compete until he is 40.

For now, Djokovic says he plans to continue playing at least until the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“I choose to focus on the things I’ve already accomplished and be grateful for them,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds, I hope for the best and I feel like I still have time. Everything that happened will affect my return to Dubai. I will try to channel all this energy, to turn it into fuel both mentally and physically. Surely there is additional motivation.

“An Olympic medal, especially gold, is always a big wish. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to fight for it in the past. I plan to be in Paris in 2024. I rewound my match with Zverev in Tokyo several times, trying to figure out what went wrong. I played superbly up to this point, but felt like I was running on fumes, both mentally and physically.