Novak Djokovic took the court for the first time in 2022 with a straightforward two-set win over Italy's Lorenzo Musetti at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner opened his account for the year with a 6-3 6-3 win, one month on from his Australian Open COVID-19 vaccination saga.
Djokovic took three of his four break points on the day as Musetti failed to grasp any of his seven opportunities to break the Serbian's serve, with the victor also coming up with five aces on Centre Court.
"I couldn't ask for a better reception, it's been a while since I played my last match so I couldn't pick a better place to kickstart the season," Djokovic said during his on-court interview. "It's a straight sets win so I have to be satisfied with my tennis, especially after not playing for two or three months.
"There were moments when I played great and moments where I made a couple of unforced errors in a row, uncharacteristically, but I'm glad that I managed to complete the job against a very talented player who possesses a lot of quality. Very, very pleasant experience for me."
Djokovic will face the winner of Karen Khachanov and Alex de Minaur's battle in the second round, and his victory comes after Andy Murray edged past Christopher O'Connell in a three-set battle earlier on Monday.
Ben Knapton
