Novak Djokovic joins Roger Federer in elite list with opening round win at Australian Open 2026

Djokovic last won a title at Melbourne Park in 2023.

For Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open 2026 began exactly the way he would have wanted. The 24-time Grand Slam champion opened his campaign with a straight-sets win over Spain’s Pedro Martinez, registering his 100th career victory at Melbourne Park.

The 38-year-old who is a 10-time Australian Open champion, barely put a foot wrong as he wrapped up a 6–3, 6–2, 6–2 victory, finishing the match with his 14th ace of the night.

Djokovic was rock-solid on serve, producing several comfortable holds and dropping just one point on serve in both the second and third sets.

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He won 93 percent of points behind his first serve while landing 77 percent of first serves, giving Martinez little chance to settle into the match.

And that’s how he entered a rare club. Only two men have now recorded 100 or more match wins at the Australian Open—Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Federer finished his Melbourne career with 102 victories, last playing the tournament in 2020 when he reached the semi-finals. He lost the final to none other than Djokovic that year.

Speaking after the match, Djokovic was impressed by his performance just as everyone was. He said “Tonight’s performance was great, I can’t complain about anything. I served very well.”

“It’s always a challenge to kick-start the tournament on the right note and send the right signal not only to yourself but your opponents watching you play.

Also Read: Top three records Novak Djokovic can create at the Australian Open 2026

“I have a couple of days without a match to recover my body. I’m using every hour to get in shape for the next challenge,” he added.

Up next, Djokovic will face Italy’s Francesco Maestrelli, a 23-year-old ranked outside the top 100, as he looks to continue his march forward.

Beyond the immediate round, history remains firmly within reach for the Serbian. Should Djokovic advance to the fourth round, he would become the player with the most match wins across all Grand Slam tournaments.

In addition, Djokovic is just three victories away from reaching 400 Grand Slam match wins, becoming the first player in history to do so.  

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