Rafael Nadal declared his first singles match on the ATP Tour for five months a roaring success after the Spaniard battled past Ricardas Berankis in Melbourne.
A 6-2 7-5 win for Nadal over the Lithuanian qualifier carried the 35-year-old into the quarter-finals of the Melbourne Summer Set tournament.
Playing on Rod Laver Arena, the main show court for the upcoming Australian Open, top seed Nadal was tested by Berankis but came through unscathed, breaking serve to love to clinch the victory.
This was the first time that Nadal had faced Berankis, the world number 104 who briefly entered the top 50 five years ago, and it came as the 20-time grand slam winner battles back from the left foot injury that curtailed his 2021 season.
Nadal had not competed on tour since losing to Lloyd Harris in the third round in Washington in August, and the match practice he gained at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi last month was followed by him contracting COVID-19.
He is vaccinated though, so was able to travel once he recovered from that brush with coronavirus, and is looking to build up form and fitness before the Australian Open begins.
"Honestly, I've been going through some difficult, challenging moments the last year and a half, but in general terms I'm super happy to be back in competition," Nadal said.
"It's important to start with a victory. It gives me the chance to play another time tomorrow and that's the main thing at this moment because I didn't play for such a long time.
"The main thing is being healthy. That's probably the only thing."
Awaiting Nadal in the last-eight stage will be Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor, who fended off Australia's Alexei Popyrin in three sets.
Determined not to take on too heavy a workload, Nadal has pulled out of the doubles tournament, despite making a winning start on Tuesday when he paired up with fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar.
He elected to play doubles initially to build up some rhythm. "In doubles, things always happen fast," Nadal said. "It makes you feel alive on the tour again. I think that was a positive thing."
Third seed Grigor Dimitrov advanced, seeing off Andy Murray's conqueror Facundo Bagnis in three sets, but Belgian fourth seed David Goffin slumped to a 7-5 6-3 loss against Slovakian Alex Molcan.
At the Adelaide International 1 tournament, there were wins at the last-16 stage for the top three seeds – Gael Monfils, Karen Khachanov and Marin Cilic – but fourth seed Frances Tiafoe was caught out by Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis, losing in three sets.
Stephen Curry is "not optimistic" about being fit for the Golden State Warriors' game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday after suffering a quad contusion.
Warriors superstar Curry did the thigh damage during a 99-82 loss at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
The seven-time NBA All-Star was hobbling in the second half but spent 36 minutes on court as he scored 14 points, took nine rebounds and provided five assists.
Curry is not hopeful over his chances of facing the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.
Asked about his injury, he told reporters: "Yeah, it sucked.
"The way it feels right now, I'm not optimistic [about playing in New Orleans], but we'll see."
Golden State head coach Steve Kerr is prepared for the prospect of being without key man Curry.
Kerr said: "Yeah, there's a chance [Curry will miss out], He got a pretty good quad contusion and those generally get worse overnight.
"With a flight and everything, there's a chance he won't play tomorrow."
The Warriors remain top of the Western Conference on 29-8, a record the Phoenix Suns can also boast.
Novak Djokovic will remain in Australia until at least Monday, when a hearing on his appeal against deportation will take place.
World number one Djokovic, who has not declared his COVID-19 vaccination status, seemed set to play in this month's Australian Open after he was granted a medical exemption.
Protocols in Australia require proof that competitors and staff have been jabbed or have a medical exemption to compete at Melbourne Park.
Tournament director Craig Tiley insisted that the 20-time major champion had not been given a "special favour" to play in the tournament, though the decision faced immediate and widespread backlash.
On Wednesday, Djokovic faced deportation after Australian Border Force's decision to cancel his visa application, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison declaring "rules are rules."
However, the Serbian's legal team have filed for a judicial review, with the case to be heard by Federal Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly on Monday at 10am local time in Melbourne.
Due to a delay in receiving the application for a review of the visa decision and the temporary ban on Djokovic's deportation, it has been agreed that the 34-year-old should remain in Australia until at least Monday.
Djokovic can leave Australia of his own volition.
Protestors have also appeared outside of the hotel where Djokovic has been transferred, supporting the nine-time Australian Open winner.
The matter has also drawn criticism from Serbia's president Aleksandar Vucic, who labelled Australia's treatment of the nation's superstar as "harassment."
Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, suggested Djokovic had made life difficult for himself by refusing to reveal his vaccination status.
"The only thing that I can say is I believe in what the people who know about medicine says, and if the people say that we need to get vaccinated, we need to get the vaccine," Nadal said.
"I went through COVID. I have been vaccinated twice. If you do this, you don't have any problem to play here. The world in my opinion has been suffering enough to not follow the rules.
"I think if he wanted, he would be playing here in Australia without a problem. He made his own decisions, and everybody is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences."
The Australian Open starts on January 17.
Rafael Nadal declared it was imperative to "follow the rules" on COVID-19 vaccinations after rival Novak Djokovic was told he faces being deported from Australia.
World number one Djokovic was left fighting for the right to compete at the Australian Open, a tournament he has won nine times, after authorities cancelled his visa.
A medical exemption was expected to allow Djokovic to enter the country, regardless of his vaccination status, which he has yet to formally disclose.
However, the Australian Border Force declared the Serbian had been ordered to fly out of the country on Thursday, sparking a challenge to that decision by Djokovic's legal team.
Reports in Australia said an interim injunction had been granted, meaning Djokovic will remain in immigration detention until a court hearing on Monday.
According to Nadal, who had COVID-19 recently but has been cleared to compete at Melbourne Park, Djokovic would have made his life a lot easier by going down the vaccination route.
"It's normal that the people here in Australia get very frustrated with the case because they have been going through a lot of very hard lockdowns, and a lot of people were not able to come back home," Nadal said.
"The only thing that I can say is I believe in what the people who know about medicine says, and if the people say that we need to get vaccinated, we need to get the vaccine.
"I went through COVID. I have been vaccinated twice. If you do this, you don't have any problem to play here. The world in my opinion has been suffering enough to not follow the rules.
"I think if he wanted, he would be playing here in Australia without a problem. He made his own decisions, and everybody is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences."
Djokovic was initially detained at an airport after arriving in Australia, while his status remained in limbo. His coach, Goran Ivanisevic, said it had been "not the most usual trip Down Under".
Spanish superstar Nadal has 20 grand slam titles, the same number that Djokovic and Roger Federer have brought up across their careers. They are locked in a race to finish with the most majors, and Federer, at 40, is battling back from injury and unlikely to compete at a slam before the US Open.
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted on Thursday: "Mr Djokovic's visa has been cancelled. Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders.
"No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant."
Nadal has some sympathy for Djokovic, but it appears to be limited.
"Of course, I don't like the situation that is happening," Nadal said. "In some way I feel sorry for him. But at the same time, he knew the conditions since a lot of months ago, so he makes his own decision."
Kyrie Irving made his return to the Brooklyn Nets side for the first time in seven months but you would not know that according to head coach Steve Nash and teammate Kevin Durant.
The pair were full of praise for 29-year-old Irving who had not played all season due to his vaccination status which meant he would be unavailable for home games in New York City, with the Nets not wanting him on a part-time basis.
The franchise changed their tune a fortnight ago, permitting him for road games, amid a COVID-19 outbreak which depleted their playing stocks. Irving had returned to practice and found his fitness before he played for the first time this season in Wednesday's 129-121 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Irving was on court for 32 minutes, scoring 22 points making nine-of-17 from the field along with three rebounds, four assists and three steals. The win also halted the Nets' three-game skid.
"He looks like himself," Nash said at the post-game news conference. "Not a big surprise watching him play in practice, he's so gifted and talented, you could see the rhythm was there.
"But it's still an adaptation. We've got to give him some space as he transitions back to playing but tonight he was big."
Durant scored 39 points with eight rebounds and seven assists as the Nets improved to 24-12 to sit second in the east behind the Chicago Bulls (25-10).
"It was amazing to have him out there," Durant told reporters. "I missed his presence around the locker room, his energy and his vibe around the team.
"On top of that, his game is just so beautiful. He makes the game so much easier for everybody out there.
"I'm sure he was a bit nervous but he got comfortable. He made some athletic plays. It looked like he'd be around for a while."
Kyrie Irving scored 22 points upon his return to the Brooklyn Nets side for the first time this season as they came from behind to beat the Indiana Pacers 129-121 and snap a three-game skid on Wednesday.
Irving had been ruled out of the entire regular season by the Nets due to his vaccination status but the franchise changed their stance a fortnight ago, permitting him to play road games.
The 29-year-old point guard played 32 minutes, making nine-of-17 from the field along with three rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Irving's return reunited the 'big three' alongside Kevin Durant (39 points, eight rebounds and seven assists) and James Harden (18 points, five rebounds and six assists).
The Pacers had led 73-60 at half-time with a biggest lead of 19 points before Brooklyn rallied with an 8-0 run to end the third quarter, before Patty Mills put them ahead with a fourth-quarter three-pointer.
Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double for the Pacers with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Popovich brings up 2,000th in style
Gregg Popovich coached the San Antonio Spurs for the 2,000th time, recording his 1,325th win in charge as they beat the Boston Celtics 97-95 with Jaylen Brown's lay-up buzzer beater rimming out. Brown scored 30 points with six rebounds, while Dejounte Murray had 22 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists for the Spurs.
Bojan Bogdanovic (36 points, 13 rebounds and four assists) won the battle of the Balkan stars against Nikola Jokic as the Utah Jazz edged the Denver Nuggets 115-109. The reigning MVP was exceptional for the Nugs with 26 points, 21 rebounds and 11 assists.
Joel Embiid scored 31 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Orlando Magic 116-106, while Giannis Antetokounmpo was absent with a non-COVID-related illness as the Milwaukee Bucks lost 117-111 to the Toronto Raptors with Pascal Siakam netting 33 points.
Curry goes cold for Warriors
Stephen Curry had an ordinary shooting night, going five-of-24 from the field and one-of-nine from beyond the arc as the Golden State Warriors lost 99-82 to the Dallas Mavericks. Curry finished with 14 points with nine rebounds while Mavs All-Star Luka Doncic had 26 points with seven rebounds and eight assists.
Antonio Brown has accused the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of a cover-up in a lengthy statement following his bizarre exit from their game with the New York Jets, while also revealing he will have surgery on his injured ankle.
Brown's time with the Buccaneers came to a remarkable end on Sunday when he took off his jersey and pads and left the field with Tampa Bay trailing 24-10 in the third quarter at MetLife Stadium, the wide receiver jumping in the endzone and waving to fans before running down the tunnel. He subsequently left the stadium in an Uber.
After the Bucs' comeback win, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said Brown was "no longer a Buc".
Brown has yet to be officially released, but the four-time first-team All-Pro claims that happened on the sideline and, in a statement released through his lawyer Sean Burstyn, hit back at accusations he quit on his team.
Explaining last Sunday's incident, the statement read in part: "I relented to pressure directly from my coach to play injured. Despite the pain, I suited up, the staff injected me with what I now know was a powerful and sometimes dangerous painkiller that the NFLPA has warned against using, and I gave it my all for the team. I played until it was clear that I could not use my ankle to safely perform my playing responsibilities.
"On top of that, the pain was extreme. I took a seat on the sideline and my coach came up to me, very upset, and shouted, "What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?" I told him, "It's my ankle." But he knew that.
"He then ordered me to get on the field. I said, "Coach, I can't". He didn't call for medical attention. Instead, he shouted at me, "YOU'RE DONE!" while he ran his finger across his throat. Coach was telling me that if I didn't play hurt, then I was done with the Bucs.
"I didn't quit, I was cut. I didn't walk away from my brothers. I was thrown out. Being fired on the sideline for having a painful injury was bad enough. Then came their "spin". Coach denied on national television that he knew about my ankle. That's 100% inaccurate.
"I am reflecting on my reaction, but there was a trigger. The trigger was someone telling me that I'm not allowed to feel pain. I acknowledge my past. But my past does not make me a second-class citizen. My past does not forfeit my right to be heard when I am in pain."
Brown revealed he will have surgery after an MRI showed he has bone fragments in his ankle. He claims the MRI has been read by two top orthopedic surgeons but that the Bucs are attempting to force him to get another opinion from a more "junior" physician.
"As part of their ongoing cover-up, they are acting like I wasn't cut and now demanding I see a doctor of their choice to examine my ankle," the statement continued.
"What they did not know until now is that that on Monday morning I had an urgent MRI on my ankle. It shows broken bone fragments stuck in my ankle, the ligament torn from the bone, and cartilage loss. You can see the bone bulging from the outside. That must and can be repaired. The MRI has been read by two top orthopedic surgeons in NYC, including Dr. Martin O'Malley at Hospital for Special Surgery.
"Not realising that I had already scheduled a surgery at HSS, the Bucs 'ordered' me under penalty of discipline and with a few hours' notice to show up to a more junior doctor at HSS for another opinion. What a joke. They're playing like I wasn't cut, giving me a surprise attack "order" to show up to another doctor with no reasonable notice, and setting this whole thing up as a basis to cut me because what they did on Sunday was not legitimate.
"What the organisation is doing now needs to get cleaned up. I do not understand how people publicly claiming to be concerned about my mental health can do these things to me in private.
"Once my surgery is complete, I'll be back to 100 percent and looking forward to next season. Business gonna be BOOMIN!"
Aaron Rodgers hit back at an NFL MVP voter who said he would not cast his ballot for the Green Bay Packers quarterback, calling the reporter in question "a bum".
Rodgers has experienced a superb but controversial campaign, leading the Packers to the number one seed in the NFC but attracting significant criticism for appearing to mislead reporters regarding his vaccination status.
He tested positive for coronavirus and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in November for 10 days, as league rules dictate for unvaccinated players, forcing him to miss the Packers' Week 9 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs. Rodgers had said back in August that he was "immunised".
Rodgers clarified that his immunisation comments referred to a homeopathic treatment he received. He applied for an exemption from the rules for unvaccinated players but saw his request rejected by the NFL and NFLPA.
The three-time MVP subsequently criticised the league's coronavirus protocols and has courted controversy with his comments regarding vaccines.
In an interview on Tuesday, MVP voter Hub Arkush told 670 The Score: "I don't think you can be the biggest jerk in the league and punish your team, and your organisation and your fanbase the way he did and be the Most Valuable Player.
"Has he been the most valuable on the field? Yeah, you could make that argument, but I don't think he is clearly that much more valuable than Jonathan Taylor or Cooper Kupp or maybe even Tom Brady. So from where I sit, the rest of it is why he's not gonna be my choice."
Responding in a media conference on Wednesday, Rodgers said of Arkush: "I think he's a bum. I think he's an absolute bum. He doesn't know me. I don't know who he is. No one knew who he was, probably, until yesterday's comments. And I listened to the comments.
"But to say he had his mind made up in the summertime, in the offseason that I had zero chance of winning MVP – in my opinion, that should exclude [him from] future votes.
"His problem isn't with me being a 'bad guy' or 'the biggest jerk in the league' – because he doesn't know me. He doesn't know anything about me. I've never met him. I've never had lunch with him. I've never had an interview with him.
"His problem is I'm not vaccinated. So if he wants to go on a crusade and collude and come up with an extra letter to put on the award just for this season and make it the 'Most Valuable Vaccinated Player,' then he should do that.
"But he's a bum. And I'm not going to waste any time worrying about that stuff. He has no idea who I am. He's never talked to me in his life. But it's unfortunate that those sentiments – it's surprising that he would even say that, to be honest. But I knew this was possible."
Derrick Henry returned to practice on Wednesday, boosting hopes he could feature for the Tennessee Titans in the playoffs.
Henry was earlier designated to return from injured reserve, opening his 21-day window to be placed back on the active roster.
The star running back suffered a fractured foot in the Titans' overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts back on October 31.
Henry, who won the rushing title in 2019 and 2020, has 937 yards on 219 attempts with 10 touchdowns in the 2021 season.
Despite his return to practice, it appears unlikely he will be ready to feature in the Titans' regular-season finale against the Houston Texans, in which they could clinch the number one seed in the AFC.
However, should Tennessee indeed secure top spot in the conference, it will give the Titans a first-round bye and Henry extra time to recover for a home game in the Divisional Round.
Even with Henry missing half the season, the Titans still rank third in rush yards per game with 142.5 and will hope his return to their ground attack can help propel them to a second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
Novak Djokovic was left fighting for the right to compete at the Australian Open on Wednesday after authorities cancelled his visa.
The world number one announced on Tuesday that he had received a medical exemption to play in the tournament he has won a record nine times.
That medical exemption was expected to allow Djokovic to enter the country, regardless of his vaccination status, which he has yet to formally disclose.
However, the Victorian government reportedly rejected an application as a member of Djokovic's support team made an error in requesting a sub-class of visa.
Further doubt was cast over Djokovic's chances of being allowed to contest the first grand slam of the year when Jaala Pulford, the acting sports minister of the state of Victoria, later declared on social media that the Serbian's application will not be supported.
It was later announced by the Australian Border Force (ABF) he had been ordered to fly out of the country on Thursday, although his legal team was said to be challenging the decision.
"The ABF can confirm that Mr Djokovic failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently cancelled," the force said.
"Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa cancelled will be detained and removed from Australia.
"The ABF can confirm Mr Djokovic had access to his phone."
Djokovic's father had earlier accused authorities of holding the 20-time major winner "captive for five hours".
He told Russian news agency Sputnik: "This is a fight for the libertarian world, not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world.
"If they don't let him go in half an hour, we will gather on the street. This is a fight for everyone."
Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley will not countenance a "complicit" tie should such a result benefit both his team and the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
The AFC playoff picture is an intriguing one heading into Week 18 and a favourable result at Allegiant Stadium could take both teams into the postseason.
If the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens, and the Jacksonville Jaguars – fresh from a 50-10 blowout defeat to the New England Patriots – upset the 9-7 Indianapolis Colts, the scenario in Nevada becomes straightforward.
Should those results fall into place, a tie between the Raiders and Chargers would send both to the playoffs at the expense of the other remaining challengers.
However, Staley is not prepared to engage in any such approach regardless of the bigger picture come kickoff.
"That's a pretty loaded scenario," he told The Rich Eisen Show. "That is an all-time coffee shop scenario. I feel like I'm with my buddies at the University of Dayton.
"I think we all respect the game and the NFL shield and the integrity of this game far too much to be complicit in something like that. This game matters too much to too many people, and we want to play our best and be proud of the result one way or another.
"We're going to do everything we can to go win this game, and play the way we're capable of playing. I hope all the fans and everybody who loves the NFL will be proud of the game on Sunday.
"What makes it so special is the competition and the level of integrity and respect that it stands for."
The Chargers and Raiders head into the contest evenly matched, both standing at 9-7 with Las Vegas on a three-game winning streak.
Novak Djokovic is "being held captive" in a room guarded by police after arriving in Melbourne for the upcoming Australian Open, the tennis star's father has alleged.
World number one Djokovic announced on Tuesday that he had received a medical exemption to play in the tournament he has won a record nine times.
That medical exemption was expected to allow Djokovic to enter the country, regardless of his vaccination status, which he has yet to formally disclose.
However, the Victorian government reportedly rejected an application from Border Force as a member of Djokovic's support team made an error in requesting a sub-class of visa.
Further doubt was cast over Djokovic's chances of being allowed to contest the first grand slam of the year when Jaala Pulford, the acting sports minister of the state of Victoria, later declared on social media that the Serbian's application will not be supported.
And amid later reports that the 20-time major winner could be forced to fly back home, Djokovic's father Srdjan hit out at authorities for their treatment of his son.
"Novak is currently in a room which no one can enter," he told the B92 internet portal. "In front of the room are two policemen."
Srdjan added to Russian news agency Sputnik: "I have no idea what's going on. My son has been held captive for five hours.
"This is a fight for the libertarian world, not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world.
"If they don't let him go in half an hour, we will gather on the street, this is a fight for everyone."
The latest twist in the Djokovic saga comes after Australian prime minister Scott Morrison stated that Djokovic "will be on the next plane home" if he fails to prove he merits medical exemption to play in the tournament.
Australian Open director Craig Tiley insisted on Tuesday that Djokovic had not been given a "special favour" to play in the tournament, which is scheduled to run from January 17 until January 30.
Novak Djokovic's participation at the Australian Open is reportedly back in doubt due to an issue with his visa.
World number one Djokovic flew into Melbourne on Wednesday, a day after revealing he had been cleared to take part in the tournament after receiving a medical exemption.
The Serbian has not directly addressed whether he has been vaccinated against COVID-19, but players who compete at Melbourne Park either require proof they have been jabbed or an exemption.
He has spoken openly and critically about vaccine mandates, insisting there should be freedom of choice in all walks of life.
Many Australians criticised the decision to welcome Djokovic into the country, but the 34-year-old appears to have hit another stumbling block in his battle to defend the title he has won a record nine times.
Reports from Australia suggested that the Victorian government had rejected an application from Border Force regarding Djokovic's visa as a member of his support team made an error in requesting a sub-class of visa.
And Jaala Pulford, the acting sports minister of the state of Victoria, later declared on social media that Djokovic's application will not be supported.
"The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic's visa application to enter Australia," she posted on Twitter.
"We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.
"We've always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors."
The latest twist in the Djokovic saga comes after Australian prime minister Scott Morrison stated that Djokovic "will be on the next plane home" if he fails to prove he merits medical exemption to play in the tournament.
Australian Open director Craig Tiley insisted on Tuesday that the 20-time major champion had not been given a "special favour" to play in the tournament, which is scheduled to run from January 17 until January 30.
Ricardas Berankis will face Rafael Nadal in the second round of the Melbourne Summer Set after beating Marcos Giron on Wednesday.
Nadal made his return after a five-month absence due to injury when he and fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar beat Sebastian Baez and Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3 3-6 10-4 in a doubles match in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The 20-time grand slam champion will be back in singles action against Berankis at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday after the Lithuanian qualifier dispatched American Giron 7-5 6-4.
Fifth seed Benoit Paire was trailing 4-6 6-3 5-2 to Henri Laaksonen when the Frenchman retired from the contest.
Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson advanced on home soil, beating Stefano Travaglia 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 and Christopher O'Connell 1-6 7-5 6-4 respectively.
Munar beat towering South African Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-4, while Emil Ruusuvuori, Alex Molcan and Maxime Cressy also made it through.
Marin Cilic racked up the 550th victory of his career at the Adelaide International 1, defeating Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
Third seed Cilic will now come up against Laslo Djere, who was level at one set apiece with Corentin Moutet when the Frenchman was disqualified after reportedly swearing at the umpire.
Thanasi Kokkinakis fought back to oust Frances Tiafoe in the final match of the day, the Australian wild card winning 3-6 7-5 6-1.
Novak Djokovic should clear up any doubts over the reasons for his medical exemption to play at the Australian Open, says Toni Nadal.
Tournament organisers have faced a backlash after it was announced this week that men's world number one Djokovic has been granted a medical exemption to play in the first grand slam of the year.
Protocols in Australia require proof that competitors and staff have been jabbed or have a medical exemption to compete at Melbourne Park. Djokovic has thus far refused to state whether he has been vaccinated.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday that Djokovic would be on the "next plane home" if he fails to prove he is medically exempt, though tournament organiser Craig Tiley insisted the 20-time major champion had not been given a "special favour" to play.
Nadal, the uncle of Djokovic's long-term rival and also 20-time major victor Rafael Nadal, has now weighed in, expressing surprise the Serbian did not pull out of the tournament and urging him to clarify his situation.
In his column for El Pais, Nadal wrote: "I must admit that, until Tuesday's announcement, I thought that the Serbian player would give up participating in the tournament or that he would get the vaccine.
"The way I understand it, if you have requested and received an exemption then it's because you must not have been administered any of the authorised [vaccines].
"There are almost six million people who have lost their lives due to this damn virus and many other millions who have received the vaccine.
"I want to think that Novak is no stranger to all this and that he will clear up the doubts as a sign of human sensitivity and understanding."
The Australian Open begins on January 17.
Ash Barty produced an impressive comeback to defeat Coco Gauff in her first singles match since the US Open.
World number one Barty moved into the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International with a battling 4-6 7-5 6-1 triumph.
The home hope, who is favourite to win the Australian Open when it starts later this month, was a set and a break down against the American wonderkid before ultimately progressing in two hours and 12 minutes.
Exhausted after a six-month road trip that included Wimbledon glory last year, Barty took a break from the WTA Tour after her third-round exit at Flushing Meadows on September 5.
Her return came in a marquee matchup at the WTA 500 event which did not disappoint, as Barty battled to win 11 of the last 13 games and prevail.
The victor stemmed the early errors she was making on the forehand side, with Gauff paying the price for only converting three of her 15 break-point opportunities.
It was only the second meeting between Barty and Gauff, with the Australian having to retire with an arm injury while leading their first encounter in Rome last year.
"I felt like I played a pretty good quality match considering it was my first match in a few months," said Barty.
"In the first set I was able to create opportunities but just was a little bit slack on the execution, rusty in the sense of stringing quality points together.
"Midway through the second set I was able to find my rhythm a little bit better on serve and just continued to be aggressive on my forehand. I just found execution a little bit more.
"Coco played great and forced me to hit a lot of balls. I felt I got better and better as the match went on. It was nice to get some court time."
An intriguing last-eight tie lies in wait for Barty. She will either play former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin or compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic.
And there was more good news for Barty as two of her main rivals for glory were eliminated.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka was surprisingly beaten as Kaja Juvan, the world number 100, prevailed 7-6 (8-6) 6-1.
Maria Sakkari, the third seed, also crashed out, beaten in three sets by Shelby Rogers, the player who knocked Barty out of the US Open the last time the Australian was on court.
There are two other tournaments taking place this week, both at WTA 250 level.
At Melbourne Summer Set 1, second seed Simona Halep joined Naomi Osaka in round two with a routine 6-4 6-2 win over Destanee Aiava.
The field is not as strong at Melbourne Summer Set 2, where the highest seed remaining, Daria Kasatkina, progressed after opponent Anna Kalinskaya, having already lost the first set, withdrew through injury.
Novak Djokovic will be on the "next plane home" if he fails to prove he merits a medical exemption to play in the Australian Open.
Tournament organisers have faced a backlash after it was announced this week that Djokovic has been granted a medical exemption to play in the first grand slam of the year.
The Serbian has refused to state whether he has been vaccinated, but protocols in Australia require proof that competitors and staff have been jabbed or have a medical exemption to compete at Melbourne Park.
Tournament director Craig Tiley insisted that the 20-time major champion had not been given a "special favour" to play in the tournament.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday stated that Djokovic will not defend his title if he fails to show that he is exempt.
He told reporters: "We await his presentation and what evidence he provides us to support that.
"If that evidence is insufficient, then he won't be treated any different to anyone else and he'll be on the next plane home. There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic at all. None whatsoever."
Tiley told The Today Show on Tuesday: "There's been no special favour. There's been no special opportunity granted to Novak.
"As an organisation and as a sport, we've done what everyone else does and would do if they wanted to come to Australia and under certain conditions.
"And we have abided by those conditions and I know Australia's had the most comprehensive response to COVID of any nation in the world. And our governments have done everything they humanly possibly can to keep us safe.
"It's ultimately the decision of the medical experts and we follow that accordingly. In this case, Novak made that application.
"And like others, there's been 26 athletes and their primary support staff that have made applications and a handful of those have been granted by the panel.
"The conditions in which any tennis player comes in, no matter who they are, are conditions that have been put on tennis and put on anyone coming into Australia by the Australian government."
The Australian Open begins on January 17.
Jimmy Butler has been ruled out for the Miami Heat ahead of their game at the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Five-time All Star Butler had to be helped from the court after suffering an ankle injury during Monday's loss to the Golden State Warriors.
And the Heat will have to do without the swingman, who is averaging 23.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists this season, as they look to avoid a third straight NBA defeat.
Butler has already missed 15 games so far in 2021-22, some due to issues with the same right ankle, while he also had a tailbone injury.
The team did not provide any further details on his status other than ruling him out of the game against the Trail Blazers.
Miami had won five games in a row prior to consecutive road losses against the Sacramento Kings and the Warriors, who won 115-108 with Butler forced off towards the end of the third quarter.
The team sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 23-15 record, having made it to the NBA Finals last season.
Miami were already due to be without Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson against Portland (14-22).
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