Novak Djokovic began his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam by cruising to a commanding straight-sets win on Monday at the Australian Open. The Serbian star dismissed Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in two hours and will face Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli in the second round.
The victory marked Djokovic’s 100th at the Australian Open. “Great to be back once again, definitely my favourite court,” the 38-year-old said at Rod Laver Arena. “Centurion is pretty nice. I always give my best on the court; history-making is a great motivation. I am blessed to be still playing at this level.”
Djokovic raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set amid cheers from Serbian fans. Ranked four, he had withdrawn from a warm-up event earlier this month, citing a lack of physical readiness, and his last competitive match was in early November. Despite the break, he moved freely on the Melbourne Park hard court, winning the first set with ease.
In the second set, Djokovic broke the 71st-ranked Martinez’s serve early and remained untroubled on his own serve to take a 2-0 lead. The third set followed the same pattern, with a minor scare when Djokovic stretched his right hamstring between games.
To break a tie with Margaret Court and claim a record 25th major, Djokovic will have to challenge the duopoly of Carlos Alcaraz and two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, who have dominated the majors in recent years. Djokovic has been stuck on 24 major titles since winning the US Open in 2023 and retired from his last year’s Australian Open quarter-final against Alexander Zverev due to injury.
Monday’s win also saw Djokovic make history with his 81st Grand Slam appearance, equaling the men’s singles record with Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez.
