Aljaz Bedene still gets goosebumps when he watches footage of his first-round win over Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon last year – but he knows it will be different this time.

Bedene enjoyed raucous home support as he triumphed 8-6 in the fifth set, but he arrives back at Wimbledon with the Slovenian flag next to his name.

After repeated efforts to persuade the International Tennis Federation to allow him to represent Britain in Davis Cup and the Olympics failed, Bedene made the decision at the end of last season to switch back to his native country.

Aljaz Bedene celebrates beating Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon last year
Aljaz Bedene celebrates beating Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon last year (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The irony that he has drawn Cameron Norrie, the current British number two, but who also grew up abroad, in the first round is not lost on Bedene.

The 28-year-old told Press Association Sport: “Obviously the crowd’s not going to be supporting me this time. But it’s great to be back. It does feel different. Hopefully the court is going to be reasonably big and I’ll just try to enjoy it. Hopefully someone is going to be supporting me too.”

The saga began in 2014, six years after Bedene moved to Welwyn Garden City. Between applying for a British passport and being granted it, the ITF changed the rules, barring players from competing for two different nations in Davis Cup and Fed Cup.

Because Bedene had previously played for Slovenia – albeit only in dead rubbers – he was not permitted to represent Britain. After a final appeal in March last year was rejected, Bedene came to realise that playing for Britain meant his dream of competing in the Olympics would never be realised.

He found it too painful to watch the Rio Games on TV and admits to feeling a weight off his shoulders now his future is finally resolved.

He said: “The LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) really helped me, I think they’ve done an amazing job. I did want to have everything clean with the LTA so I did speak to (lawyer) Stephen Farrow, we had a nice chat and he did say it’s probably for the best.

“It wasn’t easy but through all this time, thinking so much about it, being pessimistic about the future, about the goals or wishes that I had that were not up to me. I just became more and more pessimistic and then I had to think, what do I want to do?

“Now I’m playing for Slovenia and I’m enjoying being in the team. And hopefully the Olympics will be next. Some Slovenians call me the British player but, like in everything, you get some positive, some negative but in general I think the people do understand me, from both sides. I’m doing what’s best for me.”

Bedene moved back to Slovenia early last year to support his pop star wife Kimalie but insists he has not cut ties with Britain.

“I’ve still got my house here, Welwyn is going to be my city,” he said. “Who knows, maybe I’m going to move back because I do love England. The people are really nice here and I felt this was my home.

Cameron Norrie will be Bedene's first-round opponent at Wimbledon
Cameron Norrie will be Bedene’s first-round opponent at Wimbledon (Steven Paston/PA)

“I wanted to give something back and in the end I wasn’t allowed to. But I have a lot of affinity with England. My (coaching) team’s English still so I’m keeping that.”

At 71, Bedene is ranked eight places higher than Norrie, who was born in South Africa to a Scottish father and Welsh mother, grew up in New Zealand and now lives in the United States.

A wry smile comes over Bedene’s face when he is informed he has spent significantly longer living in Britain than Norrie, who made a spectacular Davis Cup debut in February.

“Rules are rules,” he says.