"I think Novak Djokovic will have a pretty good chance of winning the tournament"

Novak Djokovic has been released from the immigration detention center following his win in court and was spotted practicing at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park.

The Australian youngster Tristan Schoolkate was the Serb's hitting partner and was happy to have received the opportunity.

Schoolkate posted an update on social media that expressed how excited he was with the opportunity.

"Grateful for the opportunity to compete in the @australianopen again this year. Thank you @tennisaustralia 🤝 Tough first round yesterday but extremely happy to get back out there today with the 🐐 on RLA," Schoolkate captioned his Instagram post.

Schoolkate suffered a first-round exit from the Australian Open qualifiers, but was back on the court for an opportunity to practice with Novak Djokovic. The 20-year-old expressed his excitement after playing at Rod Laver Arena for the first time.

“He [Djokovic] seemed pretty happy. It was good fun to be out there on Rod Laver Arena, it’s the first time I’ve been out there so I enjoyed it,” Schoolkate told The West Australian.

Schoolkate refered to the Rod Laver Arena as the Serb's "home court", considering the record nine titles he has won here. He added that the World No. 1 was in good touch throughout the session and that the 34-year-old could add to his Grand Slam tally at Melbourne Park.

“I think he was just happy to be out and about, and obviously he’s won the tournament a few times. So he’s happy to be out on court, on his home court you could almost say," Schoolkate said.

“He seemed to be hitting the ball pretty good. I think he’ll have a pretty good chance of winning the tournament as long as he can play and all that goes ahead,” he added.

"Novak Djokovic was pretty encouraging and saying I was hitting it well" - Tristan Schoolkate

Novak Djokovic Practices On Court Ahead of 2022 Australian Open

It is evident that Djokovic is a player Schoolkate has admired over the years. The youngster mentioned how he used the practice session to gain insights on his gameplay from the World No. 1.

“It’s always nice to be on court with the best players in the world,” Schoolkate said. “You watch them on TV. I’ve watched matches where he’s played (Rafael) Nadal on that court... so to be on the court hitting with them is pretty cool. He was pretty encouraging and saying I was hitting it well, so I’ve got things to build on and hopefully I can get there one day,” he added.

Schoolkate was awarded a wildcard for the Australian Open qualifiers for the second time in a row. However, the Australian failed to capitalize on the opportunity as he was knocked out in the first round by American Christopher Eubanks in straight sets.