LIVE: Serena's coach fears for Djokovic 'baggage'

Serena Williams' erstwhile coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, fears that Novak Djokovic volition conflict with the load of "emotional baggage" astatine the Australian Open.

The Serbian fable was sensationally deported from Australia earlier past year's tourney aft refusing to beryllium vaccinated against COVID-19.

But the unit and media attraction volition ratchet up importantly erstwhile the Australian Open gets underway connected January 16, arsenic good arsenic the instrumentality of immoderate unhappy memories.

"It's going to beryllium pugnacious for Novak successful Australia, that's for sure," Mouratoglou told Eurosport.

"He going to transportation a large affectional baggage. He's been done truthful much, emotionally speaking. Nobody is immune. It's going to beryllium hard.

"I anticipation helium doesn't autumn isolated similar helium did astatine the US Open 2021 due to the fact that determination was excessively much. But it comes aft astir apt a play wherever helium has had a batch of rest.

"It's the pre-season, it's the off-season and there's nary accent of competition. So he's going to beryllium emotionally rested, which is good. And past helium won't commencement straight with the Australian Open, truthful he'll person clip to get utilized to the ambiance there."