Novak Djokovic began his campaign at Melbourne Park with relative ease this year.
Novak Djokovic delivered an impressive start at the 2026 Australian Open by comfortably defeating Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena. This victory not only secured the Serbian player’s place in the second round but also marked a special milestone: his 100th win at the first Grand Slam of the year, where Djokovic has suffered only 10 losses since his debut in 2005.
Djokovic demonstrated that he still maintains remarkable form despite not playing any warm-up matches before the tournament. The 4th seed quickly took control of the match, holding his serve firmly and breaking Martinez’s serve at the first opportunity. Throughout the match, Nole lost only 5 points on his serve — a statistic that highlights the near-perfect consistency of the Grand Slam record holder.
After the match, Djokovic candidly stated that his desire to break records is the biggest motivation for him to continue competing at the highest level. The 38-year-old player is aiming for his 11th Australian Open title, which would also be his 25th Major championship in his career — a milestone that would allow him to surpass legend Margaret Court to become the player with the most Grand Slam titles in history.
"I always give my all; that is a huge motivation, especially over the past 5-10 years. When there is a chance to make history, I feel even more inspired to play my best tennis.", Djokovic shared.
On the other side of the net, Pedro Martinez — ranked 71st in the world — struggled against Djokovic’s ball control and ability to dictate the match. Despite his efforts to save multiple break points and extend the first set at times, the Spanish player could not prevent Nole from cruising to a commanding 3-set victory.
In the second round of the 2026 Australian Open, Novak Djokovic will face Italian player Francesco Maestrelli, who just endured a thrilling 5-set match against Terence Atmane.