The deportation of Novak ковиokovi од from Australia caused a drop in interest among fans for the first annual Grand Slam tournament that started this morning in Melbourne.

Newsweek magazine writes that the number of people returning tickets to the Australian Open and asking for a refund is increasing.

A survey by the English company "Search Intelligence" showed that 25% more people on Google search for the opportunity to refund the funds, than to buy tickets for the Australian Open. The company believes that the main reason for the decline in interest among fans is Novak Djokovic.

- The news of his arrest and trial caused chaos in the public. The best tennis player in the world arrived in Melbourne to win the record 21 Grand Slam title, but the Australian laws brought a lot of controversy to the tournament. "When Djokovic was stripped of his visa for the second time, it led to a great deal of public outcry, with some supporting him because it could be a historic success and others opposing him for violating anti-coronavirus measures," a Search Intelligence spokesman said.