Cannot ever rule Djokovic out of title race: Sania

DESPITE entering the Australian Open field as No 7 seed, Novak Djokovic's lowest since 2018, former Grand Slam champion Sania Mirza believes that one cannot count the experienced player out yet.

- KALYANI MANGALE

"Novak, the way that he had played at the Australian Open, he brings something special over there and having won that so many times, you can't ever put him away," Mirza told reporters ahead of the start of the competition in Melbourne.

"It's probably the last two couple of years that we're going to watch him play," Mirza, who would resume her duties as a commentator at the Australian Open, said. "I think to be very honest, on the contrary, it's going to be a problem for the title contenders. Nobody wants to see Djokovic in the quarterfinal. They would rather play him in the final. So, I think he's going in with a great situation where the pressure is off to him right now," she added speaking about the 10-time champion of the hard court in Melbourne.