Novak Djokovic will begin his 2026 season at the Adelaide International, joined by Draper, Fils, Fonseca, and Tsitsipas who have also confirmed their participation.

Founded in 2020, the Adelaide International is a key warm-up event for the Melbourne Australian Open. This ATP 250 tournament takes place on outdoor hard courts at Adelaide’s Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. The 2025 champion, Aliassime, is absent from the 2026 entry list, opting not to defend his title.

Djokovic and Draper are the two top 10 players entered, while the participation of Fokina, Lehecka, and Tommy Paul brings the field to five top 20 competitors. This marks Djokovic’s first event of 2026, and Draper will be competing in his second tournament of the season following the United Cup.

Tournament scale and player composition

The Adelaide International men’s singles main draw features 28 spots, with the top four seeds receiving byes into the second round. So far, 19 direct acceptances have been confirmed, with 4 qualifying spots and 3 wildcards still to be allocated.

In 2023, the tournament had a 32-player draw with no first-round byes.

Partial ATP entry list for the 2026 Adelaide International:

Ranking Player

4. Novak Djokovic

10. Jack Draper, career-high No.4, 2026 Indian Wells champion.

14. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, runner-up in four tour events this year.

17. Jiri Lehecka

20. Tommy Paul, 2023 Australian Open semifinalist.

21. Francisco Cerundolo

24. Joao Fonseca, rising star of the new generation.

25. Taro Daniel, Mallorca champion this year, defeating Aliassime.

29. Arthur Rinderknech, Shanghai Masters finalist, elder brother of a top player.

31. Valentin Vacherot, Shanghai Masters champion, defeated Djokovic in the semifinals.

32. Tomas Machac

33. Brandon Nakashima

34. Stefanos Tsitsipas, three-time Grand Slam finalist.

35. Corentin Moutet

36. Jaume Munar

37. Hugo Gaston

40. Arthur Fils, career-high No.14, highly regarded as a challenger to Sinner and Alcaraz.

41. Gabriel Diallo, known for his powerful serve.

54. Alexei Popyrin, career-high No.19, 2024 Canadian Masters champion.

Event dates

The 2026 Adelaide International ATP event will take place from January 12 to 17.

Past champions’ participation

Djokovic previously competed only in 2023 at this event, where he won the title by defeating Sebastian Korda in the final; Lehecka is another past champion on the list, having beaten Draper in the 2024 final.

Djokovic’s 2023 Adelaide victory highlights

First round: defeated Lestienne 6-3, 6-2.

Second round: beat Alcaraz 7-6(3), 7-6(5).

Quarterfinals: won against Shapovalov 6-3, 6-4.

Semifinals: defeated Medvedev 6-3, 6-4.

Final: narrowly overcame Korda 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4 to claim the championship.

After his intense three-set win over Korda in the 2023 Adelaide final (6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4), Djokovic said: “Obviously, it’s been a fantastic week, much better to finish as champion than losing in the final. Today’s match was unpredictable; I mentioned on court that he (Korda) was closer to winning — he had match points, led 40-0 in the first set tie-break, and took that tie-break.”

“He controlled the rhythm completely. I wasn’t at my best throughout but still found a way to win. I believe when you’re not playing well or feeling the ball, yet still manage to win — especially in a final — it builds confidence and makes the victory more rewarding.”

In fact, the 2023 season marked Djokovic’s comeback after a turbulent 2022. Returning to Australia, he was determined not to lose.

Two years later, whether Djokovic can regain his former fighting spirit remains to be seen — it’s something to look forward to.

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