The ambition to win the championship remains unchanged! Djokovic confirms participation in the Australian Open warm-up tournament, inviting top experts to join his team for support.

On December 16 local time, the Adelaide tournament officially announced Djokovic’s confirmed participation. The 24-time Grand Slam champion will use this warm-up event ahead of the Australian Open to fully prepare for the first Grand Slam of the 2026 season. The ATP250 Adelaide event will take place from January 12 to 17, one week before the Australian Open main draw.

With the Adelaide tournament entry list unveiled, Djokovic will compete as the top seed. The event boasts a strong lineup, including another top 10 player Draper, as well as three top 20 players: Davidovich Fokina, Lehečka, and Paul, alongside Brazilian rising star Fonseca and former world No. 3 Tsitsipas.

Djokovic won the Adelaide title in 2023.

Photo: Visual China

Djokovic has won the Adelaide tournament twice in his career, in 2007 and 2023. In 2023, he claimed the men’s singles title by defeating Korda in three sets, later securing his tenth Australian Open crown that year. The Serbian star undoubtedly aims to replicate this feat in the 2026 season to end a two-season Grand Slam title drought. However, considering his performance over the past two years and the rise of key rivals Sinner and Alcaraz, reclaiming a Grand Slam title will be challenging. Notably, Sinner and Alcaraz will skip all Australian Open warm-up events and instead play an exhibition match in Seoul, South Korea, on January 10, eight days before the Australian Open begins.

Last year, Djokovic chose the Brisbane tournament in the first week of the season as his Australian Open warm-up. He lost in the quarterfinals to American big hitter Opelka. Later, at the Australian Open, he reached the semifinals by defeating Alcaraz in the quarters but withdrew mid-match against Zverev due to injury.

Currently, Djokovic is training in Athens during the off-season and recently added sports science expert Mark Kovac to his team. Based in Melbourne and highly respected in tennis circles, Kovac specializes in exercise physiology, biomechanics, physical conditioning, and injury prevention and has worked with players like Gauff, Keys, Stephens, and Isner.

Whether announcing his participation in the Australian Open warm-up or bringing new experts into his team, Djokovic clearly demonstrates his strong desire to win titles. In an interview earlier this month, he stated that his top priority is to rebuild his physical condition to start next year strongly, reaffirming his eagerness to compete against the world’s best players on court.

Djokovic claimed the Athens title this year.

Photo: Visual China

Although Djokovic did not win any Grand Slam titles this year, he reached the semifinals in all four majors, showing consistent and strong competitiveness. Additionally, he secured two tour-level singles titles. The Serbian star won the ATP250 Athens final against Musetti at the end of the season, then withdrew from the ATP Finals, concluding the year with a 39-11 record and a year-end ranking of No. 4.