World No. 1 Novak Djokovic's unceremonious exit from Australia, especially the "unjust" treatment he received at the hands of the nation's authorities, has taken a severe toll on the 20-time Grand Slam champion's mental health, his long-time coach Marian Vajda has claimed.
Lifting the lid on Djokovic's "suffering", Vajda claimed that the 34-year-old's deportation from Melbourne would have long-term effects on his player and would be extremely tough to get the entire saga out of his mind.
"It is clear that it hit him mentally, it will hurt him for a long time and it will be difficult to get it out of his head", Vajda told the Serbian outlet Sport Klub.
Blaming the Australian government for the fiasco, the Slovak even claimed that the decision wasn't based on any kind of logic and it was only taken to gain political mileage by the governing establishment.
"I still don't understand why they did it to him. It was an unhealthy and unjust decision, based on the assumption that Djokovic could do or influence something that has not yet happened", Vajda said. "I can't imagine how he handled it, it must have been a huge suffering. He humbly endured all measures, but what they did to him must mark him. It was a political process".
Djokovic could be banned from visiting Australia for the next three years and may not be able to defend his French Open title during the summer as Paris has already announced that un-jabbed athletes won't be allowed into the country.
He is set to miss the US Open as well unless the top-ranked tennis player in the world does an about-face and gets vaccinated.
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam that is yet to announce its vaccination policy and it could be Djokovic's last hope this year.