Reports: Novak Djokovic to train with Filip Krajinovic during Australian Open quarantine

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will reportedly partner with fellow Serb Filip Krajinovic during the first week of quarantine in Melbourne, ahead of the Australian Open.

The 28-year-old Filip Krajinovic is ranked No. 31 in the world and is known to be a close friend of Novak Djokovic. The two have played Davis Cup together and have also occasionally teamed up for doubles on the men's tour. Krajinovic also took part in the Adria Tour, organized by Djokovic earlier this year in the Balkan region.

As per the quarantine rules put in place by the health officials of Victoria and Tennis Australia, players need to arrive in Melbourne by mid-January and then spend two weeks in quarantine. During that period, they will be allowed to spend up to five hours a day outside their rooms for training.

In the first week of quarantine they can practice with only one other player, while in the second week of quarantine, two pairs can combine to make it a group of four for practice.

Among other notable names, Rafael Nadal will train with 19-year-old Italian sensation Jannik Sinner while Daniil Medvedev will pair up with Roberto Bautista Agut.

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Novak Djokovic to begin his 2021 campaign at the ATP Cup

Novak Djokovic with the Serbian team at the 2020 ATP Cup

The 33-year-old Novak Djokovic is expected to begin his 2021 campaign at the ATP Cup in Melbourne, according to journalist Michal Samulski.

The second edition of the ATP Cup will be held in Melbourne, in the first week of February. Following the star-studded team event, Djokovic will take part in the Australian Open which begins on 8 February.

The Serb will not take part in any of the ATP events scheduled for the first week of January, as expected.

Novak Djokovic will kick-off 2021 season playing @ATPCup in Melbourne.

— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) December 20, 2020

Novak Djokovic played a key role in Serbia winning the inaugural edition of the ATP Cup in 2020. The Serbs defeated the Spanish team, led by Rafael Nadal, in the final.

Djokovic has won 17 Grand Slam titles in his career thus far. This year in Melbourne he will be aiming to close the gap between himself and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who have both won 20 Majors - the most in men's tennis history.

Djokovic has been spending his off-season training with several other Serbian players in Belgrade at the Novak Tennis Center. Canada's Vasek Pospisil and Tunisia's Malek Jaziri also visited the facility recently for their pre-season training block.