Novak Djokovic, who was scheduled to start his 2026 tennis season at the Adelaide International, withdrew from the tournament due to not being physically ready. He recently discussed his health ahead of starting his run at the Australian Open.
Last year, Djokovic missed several tournaments because of various injuries. During the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, he sustained an injury to his left arm, which caused him to miss the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.
He also missed the Paris Masters due to a left leg injury and withdrew from the ATP Finals because of a shoulder injury.
Novak Djokovic Opens Up About His Fitness Levels Ahead of Beginning His Australian Open Run
During a pre-tournament press conference ahead of the 2026 Australian Open, Djokovic spoke about his fitness levels. He stated that after concluding his 2025 season in November, he has focused on rebuilding his body and recovering from his injuries.
The former World No. 1 mentioned that he has noticed his body taking longer to recover in recent years than in the past.
“I ended the season in the first week of November, so it’s been a while since I played any competition, any official tournament. I took some time off, and it took more time to rebuild my body because I understand that in the last couple of years, that’s what changed the most for me: it takes more time to rebuild, and it also takes more time to reset or recover,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic revealed that a “little setback” prevented him from starting his season at the 2026 Adelaide International, but he is now feeling “good” physically and is ready to compete once again.
“Unfortunately, I had a little setback that prevented me from competing at the Adelaide tournament. That’s why I didn’t go there. Physically, it’s been going on very well so far here. Obviously, every day there’s something here and there for me, and I guess for each one of us, but in general, I feel good and look forward to competing,” he added.
This year, Djokovic will be aiming to win a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Throughout his career, he has won the title in Melbourne 10 times, more than any other player in the Open Era. His victories came in 2008, 2011–2013, 2015, 2016, 2019–2021, and 2023.
Who Will Novak Djokovic Face at the 2026 Australian Open 1R?
Djokovic will begin his campaign at the 2026 Australian Open by taking on Pedro MartÃnez in the first round of the tournament. The Spaniard will compete in the singles and doubles events at the Grand Slam.
Ahead of the Melbourne Major, MartÃnez participated in the Bengaluru Open, a tournament that was a part of the 2026 ATP Challenger Tour, where he defeated Eero Vasa, Michael Geerts, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, Matteo Martineau, and Timofey Skatov to win the tournament.
Djokovic and MartÃnez have never faced each other on the ATP Tour, making their upcoming first-round match at the 2026 Australian Open their first encounter. The winner of the match will advance to the second round to face either Térence Atmane or qualifier Francesco Maestrelli.
