Novak Djokovic at the 2026 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic enters the 2026 Australian Open as the No. 4 seed. The tournament is being held at Melbourne Park from 18 January to 1 February 2026. Djokovic is bidding for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and his 25th Grand Slam singles title overall, which would break the all-time record he currently shares with Margaret Court.

Background

Previous Year and 2025 Season

Djokovic enters the 2026 season following a consistent yet title-barren Grand Slam campaign in 2025. In a statistical anomaly, Djokovic reached the semifinals of all four majors in 2025 but failed to advance to a final in any of them—a first in his career.

• 2025 Australian Open: Reached the semifinals but was forced to retire against Alexander Zverev due to a leg injury while trailing in the first set.
• 2025 Season Summary: Despite not adding to his major tally, Djokovic remained firmly in the Top 5, battling the “new duopoly” of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Preparation

Djokovic’s preparation for the 2026 Australian Open was disrupted by fitness concerns. He was originally scheduled to commence his season at the Adelaide International (starting 12 January) but withdrew just days prior, citing that he was “not quite physically ready” to compete.

• No Warm-up Events: Consequently, Djokovic enters the Australian Open without having played a competitive ATP tour-level match in 2026.
• PTPA Departure: Off the court, Djokovic made headlines in early January 2026 by announcing his departure from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), the organization he co-founded, citing differences in governance.

Seedings

Djokovic is the No. 4 seed for the tournament, his lowest seeding in Melbourne since 2018.

• No. 1: Carlos Alcaraz
• No. 2: Jannik Sinner
• No. 3: Alexander Zverev
• No. 4: Novak Djokovic

As the fourth seed, Djokovic is projected to face second seed Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, provided both players advance that far.

Tournament

Draw

The draw was released on Thursday, 15 January 2026. Djokovic anchors the bottom half of the draw alongside No. 2 Jannik Sinner.

First Round

• Opponent: Pedro Martínez (Spain)
• Result: 6-3, 6-2, 6-2

Second Round

• Opponent: Francesco Maestrelli (Italy)
• Location: Rod Laver Arena
• Approximate Start Time: Not before 1:30 pm AEDT
• Match Status: Upcoming, scheduled
• Result: TBD

Third Round

• Opponent: TBD
• Result: TBD

Fourth Round

• Opponent: TBD
• Result: TBD

Quarterfinals

• Opponent: TBD
• Result: TBD

Semifinals

• Opponent: TBD
• Result: TBD

Final

• Opponent: TBD
• Result: TBD

Statistics

(Statistics to be updated as the tournament progresses)