Sport|TennisDjokovic wins opening match against Martinez at Australian OpenNovak Djokovic begins his hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a straight-sets victory against Pedro Martinez.
## Novak Djokovic Advances in Australian Open
Novak Djokovic Advances in Australian Open
Novak Djokovic secured a victory in his opening match at the Australian Open, defeating Pedro Martinez with scores of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Mon, Jan 19, 2026. The match lasted two hours, and Djokovic is set to face Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli in the second round.
This victory marks Djokovic's 100th win at the Australian Open. The former world number one, currently ranked fourth, demonstrated strong performance despite having withdrawn from a warm-up event earlier this month due to physical readiness concerns.
In the match, Djokovic took an early lead, winning the first set with minimal difficulty. He continued to dominate in subsequent sets, breaking Martinez’s serve early in the second set and maintaining control throughout. He briefly showed concern over his right hamstring but continued to perform efficiently.
Novak Djokovic secured a victory in his opening match at the Australian Open, defeating Pedro Martinez with scores of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Mon, Jan 19, 2026.
Djokovic is pursuing his 25th Grand Slam title, a record currently shared with Margaret Court. To achieve this, he will need to surpass competitors such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have been prominent in recent major tournaments. Djokovic has not won a major title since the US Open in 2023.
In addition to his match victory, Djokovic equaled the record for men’s singles appearances at Grand Slam events, with his 81st appearance matching the records held by Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.