Novak Djokovic to kickstart 2026 season with Adelaide warm up before Australian Open

Djokovic is also aiming a record-breaking Grand Slam appearance in the season’s first major.

Novak Djokovic will headline the Adelaide Open in his third visit to South Australia. The tournament’s seventh edition will run between January 12-17, 2026, and the potential entry list includes Jack Draper, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Tommy Paul, ensuring a competitive week ahead of AO 2026.

Djokovic has added Adelaide as a surprise pitstop ahead of the 2026 Australian Open. The Serb won the event in its previous avatar in 2007 and again in 2023.

Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca and Australian Alexei Popyrin will also feature in the men’s singles draw. Frenchman Arthur Fils is expected to return after an extended injury layoff, along with compatriots Ugo Humbert and Arthur Rinderknech. The presence of Rinderknech’s cousin, Valentin Vacherot, will make the event a family affair.

A trip to Brisbane, Western Australia, in 2024 ended with a quarter-final exit for the 38-year-old Djokovic in a surprise straight-set loss to 293rd-ranked Reilly Opelka.

The Adelaide International will be Djokovic’s first appearance since winning the 2025 Athens Open in November. Adelaide will host the former World No. 1 in the run-up to the 2026 Australian Open.

Djokovic, who has won a record 10 titles at Melbourne Park, will make his 81st appearance in a Grand Slam at the season-opening major in January.  The tennis legend is all set to equal Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez for the most appearances in men’s singles grand slams during the Open Era. Federer and Lopez have made 81 appearances each at Grand Slams.

The Serb is closing in on 400 Grand Slam wins and is near certain to achieve his 100th win at the 2026 Australian Open. He has an impressive 99-10 win-loss record in Melbourne. Djokovic has won over 100 matches at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and is on 95 wins in New York.  

Djokovic will be looking to win his 25th Grand Slam and his first major in over two years. A victory in Melbourne will also halt the domination by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and hand Djokovic a record 11th Australian Open title.

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