Watch: Novak Djokovic hits the practice court in Dubai ahead of return to action

Novak Djokovic was recently seen practicing ahead of his return to action at the Dubai Tennis Championships, which begin on 21 February. The World No. 1 is set to compete in his first tournament of the 2022 season.

In a video uploaded to Twitter by We Are Tennis, Djokovic can be seen engaging in a rally, while interested spectators look on.

The Serb told The Associated Press that he was looking forward to playing again, following last month's controversy in Australia.

"I'm excited to go out on the tennis court next Monday," Djokovic said. "I miss tennis honestly after everything that has happened."

Djokovic could not compete at the Australian Open after his visa was canceled. He remains at the top of the ATP rankings but could be overtaken as early as next week by Daniil Medvedev.

The 34-year-old is the top seed at the Dubai Tennis Championships and is a heavy favorite to win the tournament. Other top-ranked players competing in the event include Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic has won the Dubai Tennis Championships five times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2020). The Serb's last appearance in the competition came in 2020, when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

Novak Djokovic open to missing French Open and Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic may not be able to compete in a number of tournaments due to his vaccination status.

Djokovic has been granted permission to play in Dubai next week because the Gulf nation does not require people entering its borders to be vaccinated. But the same cannot be said of many other tournaments around the world.

Speaking to the BBC last week, the Serb revealed he would rather sacrifice winning Grand Slam titles than compromise on his principles regarding vaccination.

"The principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else. I'm trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can," Djokovic said. "I was never against vaccination, but I've always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.

"Would I [sacrifice taking part in competitions such as Wimbledon and the French Open over my stance on the vaccine?] Yes, that is the price that I'm willing to pay," he said.

Novak Djokovic is on the entry list for the Indian Wells Masters but looks unlikely to feature at the ATP 1000 event given that participants must provide proof of vaccination in order to participate.