NOVAK DJOKOVIC is enjoying his new freedom by joking around topless on the beach ahead of the Australian Open.
The Serbian star, 33, has completed his two weeks of hotel quarantine after arriving in Adelaide.
Now able to head back out again, Djokovic and his team opted for Henley beach.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion, rocking his blue swimming trunks, got the football out for a kickabout on the sand.
Djokovic was certainly in high spirits and laughed for much of his time soaking up the sun – even when he face-planted into the net during some beach volleyball.
And with temperatures in the high 20s, he unsurprisingly decided to cool off with a dip in the sea.
After his time on the beach, Djokovic headed to Melbourne and practised on his beloved Melbourne courts on Saturday where he has won the Open eight times.
All tennis stars were forced to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Australia before the first Major of 2021.
Players were allowed out of their hotel rooms for up to five hours per day, two of which could be spent on court.
However, 72 of them were put into hard lockdown following positive coronavirus cases on chartered flights transporting players and their teams Down Under.
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This was an attempt to do something similar to what @nataliaguitler and @10Ronaldinho are doing but it obviously didn’t work
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 30, 2021
Djokovic tried to improve conditions for those unable to leave their rooms at all but his list of demands was shot down by Tennis Australia chiefs.
Nick Kyrgios was among those to hit back at the world No1 – branding him ‘a tool’ – before the Serb confirmed in a 636-word statement he wrote a letter to Australian Open bosses with a list of ‘suggestions’ on how to help disgruntled players.
Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams were among a select group allowed to head to Adelaide instead of Melbourne.
Their quarantine ended this week and they appeared at an exhibition event on Friday in front of a packed crowd.
Djokovic was due to play against Jannik Sinner but pulled out 30 minutes before he was due on court as his camp cited blisters on his right hand.
Fellow Serb Filip Krajinovic stepped in at the last moment and won the first set 6-3 before Djokovic suddenly appeared and played the second set, also winning 6-3.
"Thank you so much for coming out and making our day and making our year."
@DjokerNole | #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/61AwlJ7Hcw
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 29, 2021
The reigning Australian Open champ – who had no strapping on his hand – said: “I am sorry that I didn’t step in on the court from the beginning.
“I had to do some treatment with my physio and wasn’t feeling my best the last couple of days.
“I wanted to play… it’s not easy. But it’s part of what we do. We are professional athletes, we learn over the years to play with the pain.”
The Australian Open gets underway on February 8.
And up to 30,000 spectators will be allowed inside Melbourne Park each day – around 50 per cent of the maximum capacity – with Victoria state recording zero locally-acquired Covid-19 cases for the last 24 days.
