(AP Photo/Michel Euler)

(AP) -- Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka was among the earliest arrivals into Melbourne on one of the 15 charter flights bringing players and officials into the city for the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.

And she wanted everyone to know she was pleased to be in Australia despite all the COVID-19 restrictions around the world and a tournament-enforced 14-day quarantine period in Melbourne.

Azarenka, who won the tournament in 2012 and 2013, tweeted Friday: "Made it to Melbourne! Thank you everyone so much for making it happen. I can only imagine how many hours of work and compromise it took for us to be here! Thank you."

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