ATP Tour

Djokovic celebrates 100th Australian Open win as title quest begins

Novak Djokovic marked a triumphant return to his most successful event on Monday at the Australian Open, where he added another historic milestone at the hard-court major.

The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings delivered a near-flawless display to defeat Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, sealing his 100th career victory at Melbourne Park. The record 10-time Australian Open champion, Djokovic will now set his sights on surpassing Roger Federer’s all-time mark of 102 match wins at the tournament.

Feels just like home 🇦🇺@DjokerNole defeats Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the second round for the 19th time.@AustralianOpen | #AO26pic.twitter.com/zEyX7ORiOh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 19, 2026

“What can I say? I like the sound of it… Centurion is pretty nice,” Djokovic said. “It’s nice to be a centurion in these numbers. History making is a great motivation, particularly in the last five, 10 years of my career. Once I got myself in a position to create history, I was even more inspired to play the best tennis.

“I was very fortunate early on to encounter some people that taught me and guided me to play the long shot with my career: not to burn out too quickly, and try to have the longest career possible. I’m blessed to still be playing at this level.”

Djokovic has now recorded 100 or more victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and Roland Garros, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and is the only player to achieve that feat at three different major tournaments.

Djokovic’s record at Grand Slam tournaments (prior to AO R2)

Advancing to the second round in his 19th consecutive Australian Open appearance, Djokovic will next face 23-year-old Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli. The debutant fought past Terence Atmane 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-1 to earn his first main-draw victory at a major. 

Amid lingering questions surrounding his fitness, particularly during last year’s run to the semi-finals in New York, Djokovic looked extremely sharp and mobile. In his first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Martinez — and first match since winning the Athens title in November — Djokovic controlled play from the baseline and struck more than three times as many winners as the Spaniard (49-14).

The 38-year-old Serbian reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams last season, and his pursuit of an 11th Melbourne crown could hinge on a potential semi-final showdown with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner.

Casper Ruud also safely advanced to the second round by defeating Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 for his 50th major win. The 27-year-old, who is expecting a daughter alongside his wife, Maria, will next meet Jaume Munar after the Spaniard battled past Dalibor Svrcina 3-6, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3.

“It was a perfect start to this tournament and this court is probably one of my favourites in the world,” 12th seed Ruud said of Margaret Court Arena. “It’s a really good atmosphere and a great way to kick off. I’m excited to be back here in a couple of days. I have to thank Maria for letting me [come] in the first place. I know she’s back home resting, getting ready.”