At one stage, police deployed pepper spray.
Organisers hope the anxious buildup will be forgotten when the action begins.
Daniil Medvedev fired Russia into the final of the ATP Cup on Saturday with a tense 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over an injury-hampered Alexander Zverev after the German destroyed a racket in frustration over a lost service break.
Djokovic practised his serves and returns with his entourage on an empty court at Melbourne Park
This year's Australian Open will be allowed to admit up to 30,000 fans a day, around 50% of usual capacity, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Penpix of the top men's contenders at the 2021 Australian Open
Carlos Alcaraz moved to within two wins of completing the 'Sunshine Double'
The Sports Ministry slammed organisers of the Australian Open, saying they have wrongfully denied Indian tennis player Aman Dahiya an opportunity to compete in the junior Grand Slam by rejecting his application for vaccine exemption.
Images from Day 1 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros on Sunday.
Australian Open champion Rafa Nadal said he would love to finish his career with more Grand Slam titles than rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but thinks he will have to secure more than 21 to do so.
Daniil Medvedev was fined for an outburst against the umpire
Comedian Will Ferrell discussed how he plans to beat the heat.
Rafael Nadal will become the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles if he defeats the Russian in Melbourne.
A couple of months ago, the 35-year-old Spaniard was worried that he might never return to the court again.
In a rematch of their tumultuous 2018 US Open decider, Osaka underlined her status as the new queen of women's tennis and soaked up the cheers from the Rod Laver Arena crowd as fans returned to the Grand Slam after a five-day lockdown.
Shapovalov will meet Rafael Nadal for a place in the semi-finals.
Images from Day 7 of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
World men's tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic headed reluctantly home on Monday after being kicked out of Australia because of his COVID-19 unvaccinated status, but the government left the door open for a possible return to his favourite Grand Slam in 2023.
Nadal struggled with the problem in the build-up to the year's first Grand Slam
Djokovic, who has won nine titles at Melbourne Park, including the last three, confirmed on Tuesday that had received a vaccination exemption to allow him to bid for a record 21st major title at the Australian Open, which starts on January 17.
Russia's fourth seed Daniil Medvedev crushed Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to set up a title clash with Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday.
Australia's Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said he opposed special arrangements to let unvaccinated athletes compete in the state, which is scheduled to host the Grand Slam at Melbourne Park in January.
No tennis players hoping to compete at the Australian Open have yet been granted medical exemption from vaccination, tournament director Craig Tiley said on Thursday, as he reiterated that everyone at Melbourne Park would need to be fully inoculated.
Garbine Muguruza swapped her rackets for crampons and headed to Tanzania with a friend to climb 5,895 metre (19,340 feet) Mount Kilimanjaro, a five-day expedition in which she scaled
Ash Barty ended Australia's 44-year wait for a home winner at the Australian Open when the world number one staved off a fightback from American Danielle Collins to complete a 6-3, 7-6(2) win on Saturday and pick up her third Grand Slam title.
A round-up of all tennis action on Saturday.
Images from Day 3 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Medvedev moved a step closer to a potential semi-final showdown with Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open warm-up event.
The 34-year-old practised for an hour on Thursday evening at the Rod Laver Arena and his fitness was improving "little by little, step by step", sources close to Nadal told Reuters.
She has never defended a Grand Slam title before and that has made Sofia Kenin edgy.
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
The three-time major winner would be given a protected ranking of number two, the Australian Open organisers said
Novak Djokovic split with his long-time coach Marian Vajda at the end of the 2021 season, ending one of tennis's most enduring and successful partnerships, the Serbian former world number one said.
Images from Day 7 of the 2023 Australian Open, at Melbourne Park, on Sunday.
Simona Halep finds the prospect of 14 days of quarantine ahead of the Australian Open daunting
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played on Friday.
Djokovic has never failed to win the tournament after making the semi-finals and he will be heavily favoured to claim a record-extending ninth title at his favourite Slam on Sunday.
Bopanna was forced into searching for a new partner after Joao Sousa was unable to travel to Australia on time after testing COVID-19 positive.
'She's always smiling. I mean, we try in our team to smile everywhere. We make so many funny stuff around the court. She likes it'
Even putting on socks and shoes caused him severe pain, the three time Grand Slam winner revealed.