Djokovic facing hostility, cold start at Melbourne Park

Novak Djokovic is likely to face hostility both on and off court if he is allowed to play at the Australian Open but a former member of the Serbian’s team thinks the world No 1 is well-equipped to deal with it.

While Australia’s immigration minister continues to consider whether to cancel Djokovic’s visa on Wednesday, the 20-times Grand Slam champion has been pressing ahead with his preparations for his title defence.

Djokovic’s announcement last week that he had a medical exemption to play despite being unvaccinated was met with uproar in Australia.