Novak Djokovic began his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a straight-sets victory over Pedro Martinez.
Published January 19, 2026
Novak Djokovic embarked on his latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title with an eerie straight-sets victory at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
The Serbian defeated Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 with two hours remaining on Monday and will face Italian qualifier Francesco Mastrelli in the second round.
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This was his 100th Australian Open win.
“It’s great to be back again. It’s definitely my favorite court,” the 38-year-old said with a smile at Rod Laver Arena.
“Centurion is a very good player. I always try my best on the court. Making history is a great motivation.”
He added, “I’m happy to still be playing at this level.”
The former world number one raced into the first set with a 3-0 lead as Serbian fans serenaded him.
Djokovic, currently ranked No. 4 in the world, missed this month’s warm-up matches because he was not physically ready.
His last game was in early November, when he was trying to limit wear and tear on his creaky body.
But he showed no signs of discomfort or rust as he moved freely around the hard courts at Melbourne Park and clinched the first set with minimal fuss.
He broke 71st-ranked Martinez’s serve early in the second set and took a 2-0 lead with little trouble on his own serve.
The third set was much the same, but the only concern for Djokovic’s fans was when he stretched his right hamstring during the match.
Djokovic will need to break the duopoly of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner if he is to break the tie with Margaret Court and claim his 25th major title.
Sinner is a two-time Australian Open champion and has won the last two majors with Alcaraz.
Djokovic has been without a major title in 24 since winning the 2023 US Open.
He reached the final four in Melbourne a year ago but withdrew with an injury in his match against Alexander Zverev.
He made history in another way on Monday with his 81st Grand Slam appearance, tying the all-time record for men’s singles appearances held by arch-rivals Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez.
