Novak Djokovic began his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title on Monday, January 19, 2026, by defeating Pedro Martinez of Spain, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, in a match that lasted two hours.
Tournament organizers at Melbourne Park reported that Djokovic, representing Serbia, reached a career milestone by recording his 100th match victory at the Australian Open with the straight-sets win over Martinez.
Event officials confirmed that Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, will face Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli in the second round of the men’s singles draw.
The Australian Open’s official channels, including the tournament’s social media accounts, highlighted Djokovic’s 100th win in Melbourne and described his performance against Martinez as a dominant start to his 2026 campaign.
Match statisticians for the tournament noted that Djokovic controlled the baseline rallies against Martinez and converted key break-point opportunities in each set to secure the result in routine fashion.
Australian Open organizers scheduled Djokovic’s second-round match against Maestrelli later in the week as the Serb continues his pursuit of an unprecedented 25th major singles title.
Djokovic, 38, entered the tournament as one of the top seeds and as the defending champion, according to tournament seeding lists and previous year’s results released by the organizers.
Media outlets broadcasting the Australian Open, including networks in Australia, the United States, Europe, and Japan, carried live coverage of Djokovic’s opening-round match and featured his 100-win milestone as a key storyline of the day’s play.
Djokovic addressed the crowd after the match in an on-court interview arranged by the tournament, where he acknowledged his return to Melbourne and marked the significance of competing again at the Australian Open.
The tournament’s daily schedule showed Djokovic’s victory over Martinez as one of several first-round men’s singles matches completed on day one of the 2026 Australian Open.
Officials at Tennis Australia, which organizes the event, listed Djokovic’s 100th match win at the Australian Open as part of the historical records for the tournament’s men’s singles competition.
Australian Open statisticians recorded Djokovic’s straight-sets result as part of his overall winning record in Melbourne, where he has previously secured 10 men’s singles titles across multiple seasons.
