Djokovic practised his serves and returns with his entourage on an empty court at Melbourne Park
Roger Federer will make his return to the tennis circuit from a double knee surgery at an ATP 250 tournament in Qatar in March, having not played since last year's Australian Open.
Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam to ban competitors from Russia and Belarus last year.
It was a case of more pain than gain for Nadal since he hoisted the Musketeers' Cup for a record 14th time in June.
Kim Clijsters won her second straight Grand Slam title and the fourth of her career beating China's Li Na to clinch the Australian Open crown on Saturday.
Novak Djokovic is prepared to miss the French Open and Wimbledon if COVID-19 vaccination becomes mandatory at the Grand Slams but he is not against inoculation, the world number one tennis player said.
Images from Day 6 of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Kristina Mladenovic and Ivan Dodig swept to a 6-3, 6-4 victory
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.
New coach Rainer Schuettler's experience as a former player at the top level has been invaluable for Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber and the world number two believes her poor end to last season is truly behind her.
Players complained about the conditions, with France's Alize Cornet stating extreme the heat policy could be endangering the safety of players, this, after she suffered dizzy spells during her third round match against Elise Mertens on Friday.
This period saw big stars of the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev fade into the sunset while it was witness to the birth of slew of young Indian cricketers that made their mark home and abroad.
The three-time major winner would be given a protected ranking of number two, the Australian Open organisers said
When you are defending to save a game, a loose delivery comes along and you suddenly opt to play an attacking shot, you are unlikely to hit as well as if you were playing your naturally aggressive game all along. First Pant, then Jaiswal, found that out the costly way, observes Prem Panicker.
Images from Day 4 of the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Rafael Nadal will become the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles if he defeats the Russian in Melbourne.
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played on Friday.
He will start his 2022 season in South America at the Cordoba Open in Argentina at the end of January.
A prodigious yet polarising talent, former quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios suffered his earliest exit from Melbourne Park.
Djokovic has declined to disclose whether he is vaccinated, citing privacy.
Simona Halep finds the prospect of 14 days of quarantine ahead of the Australian Open daunting
Images from Day 3 of the 2022 Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic will spend at least the next 72 hours in a Melbourne hotel before the next hearing in his fight to overturn a ban on entering Australia is held on Monday.
Local favourite Thompson saved three match points before prevailing 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 against Nadal, who was playing his first tournament after nearly a year out with a hip injury.
Australian Open chief Craig Tiley is confident Rafael Nadal will be at Melbourne Park for next month's Grand Slam despite testing positive for COVID-19, but he is still uncertain whether Novak Djokovic will be playing.
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.
Nagal got the Chinese engaged in baseline fight from the beginning and drew the first blood in the very first game of the match.
Novak Djokovic missed two of this year's four Grand Slams due to not being vaccinated against the novel coronavirus but the Serbian said he has no regrets about his decision.
India had mixed fortunes at the Australian Open as Leander Paes got off to a winning start in mixed doubles but it was end of the road for the fourth-seeded pair of Sania Mirza and her doubles partner, Czech, Barbora Strycova in the women's doubles event.
Osaka delighted to have father back in coaching role
The win is the Czech duo's fourth Grand Slam title together
Novak Djokovic defended his father after a video emerged showing him posing at the Australian Open with some fans holding Russian flags, saying he was "misused" by the individuals and that his family was against war.
Roger Federer is keeping a lid on expectations.
A frustrated Coco Gauff broke down in tears after her 7-5, 6-3 defeat by Jelena Ostapenko at the Australian Open on Sunday.
Almost 12,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the USTA to work with the country's government to allow Novak Djokovic to compete in the US Open despite his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Stefanos Tsitsipas feels he is unfairly targetted by officials over on-court coaching and said that it should be allowed anyway, after his Australian Open semi-final loss to Daniil Medvedev on Friday.
Roger Federer strolled into the second round of the Australian Open with a clinical 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 rout of Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun under the lights of Rod Laver Arena on Monday.
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.
Melbourne will host the 2019 edition of the Presidents Cup, as well as next year's World Cup of Golf, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem announced on Saturday.
Images from Day 3 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
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