"I understand Novak Djokovic's disappointment and wish that he returns soon to do what he loves" - Salvatore Caruso after replacing the Serb in the 2022 Australian Open main draw

Novak Djokovic will not be defending his title at the 2022 Australian Open. Lucky loser and World No. 150 Salvatore Caruso will be replacing the Serb in the main draw of the event.

The saga surrounding Novak Djokovic's participation at the Australian Open has made headlines over the past two weeks. The Serb arrived in Melbourne, despite being unvaccinated, with a "medical exemption." But his visa was subsequently canceled due to a lack of evidence explaining the exemption.

Even after the World No. 1 appealed the case in court and won, Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke exercised his personal power to cancel his visa and deport the nine-time Australian Open champion, a decision which was upheld in court.

Following the announcement, Caruso took to Instagram to make a statement regarding the ordeal, and to talk about what it would mean to play at the Australian Open.

"I am happy and proud to play one of the most important tournaments in the world," Caruso wrote on Instagram. "I understand Novak Djokovic's disappointment in not being able to participate and I wish him to return soon to do what he loves."

"I don't feel like I can express an opinion on the event itself because I don't know the details and don't think it is fair to pass judgement," he added.

The Italian said media attention regarding the case will consume a lot of his energy, which he is trying to preserve for his first-round encounter against Miomir Kecmanovic.

"The media resonance of the event of my entry in the main draw in place of Novak is a lot and tends to take energy. Energy that I hope to keep and use tomorrow in the match," the Italian asserted.

Novak Djokovic could lose World No. 1 ranking after Australian Open

Novak Djokovic at the Nitto ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic is in danger of losing his World No. 1 ranking this month, as he will be dropping 2,000 ranking points after missing the Australian Open. World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev and World No. 3 Alexander Zverev could be the big gainers in this case -- if either wins the event they will become World No. 1 on February 1, 2022.

Novak Djokovic was also on the cusp of taking the lead in the all-time Slam race for the very first time. The Serb is tied at 20 Majors with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and was the heavy favorite coming into Melbourne.

With Federer missing due to injury, Nadal is the only member of the Big 3 who can win his 21st Slam in Melbourne this year. After missing most of 2021, the Spaniard may be rusty. But his preparations for the tournament, which included a title win in Melbourne last week, have been positive so far.