Tennis stars celebrate end of quarantine as Australian Open preparations begin - in pictures

Serena Williams visited a zoo while Novak Djokovic walked barefoot in a park

Novak Djokovic of Serbia acknowledges the crowd at the end of a match against Jannik Sinner of Italy during the 'A Day at the Drive' exhibition tournament in Adelaide on Friday. Players emerged from their strict quarantine ahead of the Australian Open. AFP

Novak Djokovic of Serbia arrives on court to take over the match between Filip Krajinovic of Serbia and Jannik Sinner of Italy in Adelaide. Getty

Novak Djokovic of Serbia acknowledges the crowd at the end of a match against Jannik Sinner. AFP

Crowd cheer for Novak Djokovic at Memorial Drive in Adelaide. Getty

Spanish star Rafael Nadal with Naomi Osaka of Japan and Novak Djokovic of Serbia at an event "A Day at the Drive" after two-weeks quarantine in Adelaide. AFP

Serena Williams snd husband Alexis Ohanian talk to their daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr during the 'A Day at the Drive' exhibition tournament in Adelaide on Friday. AFP

Serena Williams of the USA plays a backhand against Naomi Osaka of Japan in Adelaide. Getty

Naomi Osaka with Serena Williams in Adelaide. AFP

Japan's Naomi Osaka arrives to face Serena Williams of the US. AFP

Serena Williams took her daughter to the zoo and Novak Djokovic walked barefoot in a park as the stars of tennis emerged from a fortnight of quarantine ahead of the coronavirus-delayed Australian Open.

More than 1,000 players, coaches and officials jetted into largely virus-free Australia this month for 14 days' lockdown ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year, with most allowed out for just five hours of daily supervised training.

Big guns Williams, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka were among a select group that served their time in Adelaide rather than Melbourne ahead of an exhibition in the southern city on Friday.

Seven-time Australian Open winner Williams, who is gunning for one more Slam title to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 at next month's tournament, spent her two weeks holed up with three-year-old daughter Olympia.

"I'm so glad the quarantine is over because to be in a room with a three-year-old and being her best friend is definitely difficult, especially after training and working out and then it's like, oh my gosh, it never ends," said Williams.

"But it was fun... honestly I wouldn't trade anything for spending hours with her."

Asked what she did on her first day of freedom, Williams said they headed to the zoo.

"We had a calendar in our room and every day we marked an x on the days that went by and a big circle on the quarantine ending day, and we promised that we would take her to the zoo to see koalas and kangaroos," said the American.

She later played her first match of the season, with Olympia among a packed crowd at Memorial Drive, beating a sometimes-erratic world number three Osaka 6-2, 2-6 (10/7).

Djokovic only played one of his two scheduled sets against Jannik Sinner due to a large blister on his right hand, winning 6-3 in his first competitive game of the year.

"We didn't play in front of this big a crowd in 12 months so this is something very special," he said, having earlier opted for a quiet walk to celebrate finishing quarantine.

"You know, just putting bare feet on the ground, just doing something that I didn't have a chance to do so, just having the space I think that's what we all kind of missed," the 17-time Grand Slam winner said.