Hours after the Australian Federal Court ruled that sent home the defending champion and nine-time champion, his name was still on the schedule on the Australian Open website.

Novak Djokovic against Miomir Kecmanovic, both Serbian, second game on Monday evening (local time) in the Rod Laver Arena, that was the program.

In the end, however, not only Djokovic had to vacate his place, the completely innocent Kecmanovic was also banned, albeit much less spectacularly.

His game was moved to a smaller court, and instead two compatriots from Germany, Alexander Zverev and Daniel Altmaier, were able to look forward to the evening show in the Rod Laver Arena.

The Australian FA's official statement on what had happened on a cloudless, perfect summer's day had everyone in suspense, read like a salute from the cold store.

Tennis Australia respects the court's decision, it said, and according to the rules of Grand Slam tournaments, position 1 in the tableau will be replaced by a lucky loser.

The nine-line statement ended with the sentence: "We are looking forward to an exciting Australian Open 2022 and wish all players the best of luck." The association obviously did not manage to mention the name of the man who won the tournament more often than any player before himself, and under the direction of his boss Craig Tiley he had put in anything but a brilliant performance in the whole story.

Like everyone involved, which makes the cause a thoroughly sad, leaden story.

Salvatore Caruso as the only winner

In the official statement by the ATP, the name of the top man, who had won almost every Grand Slam last year, at least appeared. Regardless of how this highly regrettable chain of events came about, Novak Djokovic is one of tennis's greatest champions, and his absence from the Australian Open is a loss for the tournament, the men's tennis umbrella organization wrote: "We wish all the best to him and look forward to seeing him back on the tennis courts soon. The ATP will continue to strongly recommend that all players get vaccinated.” During the turbulent days in Melbourne, however, the organization remained silent, as did Craig Tiley, the otherwise powerful and omnipresent tournament director.

The only winner was a 29-year-old Italian named Caruso da, Salvatore by first name, number 150 in the world rankings.

He took Djokovic's place in the seeding list and was certainly not entirely wrong when he said in front of the "Sky" cameras on Sunday: "Maybe I'm the most famous lucky loser in history.

I feel sorry for him (Djokovic).' Maybe after the promotion he will take a picture of the tableau that puts him in the very first place;

it doesn't take much imagination and expertise to predict that he will never again occupy this place in the sun in a Grand Slam tournament.