Kerber, Zverev and more meet quokkas on Rottnest Island

Though it's about 2,000 miles away from Melbourne, the Hopman Cup in Perth is a popular start-of-season destination for players looking to get lots of match play in via a low-pressure competition.

And, having gone that far into Western Australia, players h**ave to take a detour to Rottnest Island, home of the famous, smiling quokkas. Angelique Kerber, Alexander Zverev, Ashleigh Barty and Stefanos Tsitsipas all made the trip, and the Instagram results were fantastic:

Though they draw comparisons to lots of other animals, quokkas are actually small, nocturnal wallabies. They hop and climb all over the island, eating leaves, seeds and grass.

"They are so cute, those animals. I love them!" said Tsitsipas, who made a 14-minute YouTube video documenting his quokka-seeking expedition. "I wish I could be a quokka—maybe in my next life."

The Australian Open, when it starts on Monday, will feel a world away.