Novak Djokovic racked up his 100th win at the Australian Open as he equalled Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez’s record of 81 grand slam appearances.
The 38-year-old, who is bidding to break the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and win a 25th grand slam title, cruised past Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-2 6-2 in a dominant performance on his return to Melbourne.
“Nice feeling to be a centurion,” said Djokovic, who dropped just five points on serve throughout the two-hour win. “History making is a real motivation, particularly in the last five, 10 years. I'm blessed to be still playing at this level. Making another win tonight here is obviously a dream come true.”
But there were two defeats for British players earlier in Melbourne, with Fran Jones retiring in tears due to injury and Jacob Fearnley losing a close match against Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak.
Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys begin their Australian Open campaigns tomorrow as the remainder of the first-round matches are played in Melbourne, with Emma Raducanu, Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery already through to round two.
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Australian Open live: Latest score updates
- Novak Djokovic reaches 100th Australian Open win against Pedro Martinez
- Djokovic makes 81st appearance at grand slam, drawing level with Federer
- Great Britain's Fran Jones and Jacob Fearnley unable to progress
- Iga Swiatek battles through 'ups and downs' to begin bid for career grand slam
Felix Auger-Aliassime unable to explain sudden Australian Open retirement: ‘It hurts’
17:00 , Jamie BraidwoodFelix Auger-Aliassime was unable to explain why he suffered with cramping as the seventh seed was forced to retire from his first-round match against Nuno Borges at the Australian Open.
“I don't have all the answers now,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I'm trying to be very professional at everything I do, prepare well. I love this sport, and I love to play. So I try to do everything I can in my control to get ready.
“It hurts even more, because you know, if I wasn't really ready or I wasn't doing everything, then you have to be honest with yourself. But even with being honest with myself, I'm not totally finding the reasons why this is happening. It wasn't happening in the past, so I'll have to figure it out.”
Auger-Aliassime, the US Open semi-finalist, is so far the highest seed to fall at the Australian Open.
Today at Australian Open" Gauff overcomes serving woes
16:00 , Jamie BraidwoodCoco Gauff overcame familiar serving woes to defeat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 in her opening match at the Australian Open.
"I mean, it was just the first set," Gauff explained. "Only had one double in the second. I think both of us were struggling on the far side. The sun is right there, which I know for every time I play first on day here, that’s just how it is.
“But once I got through kind of the first game, I had like three doubles in the first game, and once I got through that game, I mean, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. Maybe I would have liked to put more first serves in the court, for sure."
Novak Djokovic contacts Carlos Alcaraz to discuss ‘copyright’ as new serve revealed
15:30 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic joked he had contacted Carlos Alcaraz to discuss “copyright” after the Spaniard revealed a new service motion at the Australian Open that bore a striking similarity to his own.
“As soon as I saw it, I sent him a message,” Djokovic said following his opening win at the Australian Open on Monday. “I said, we have to speak about the copyrights. Then when I saw him here, I told him we have to talk about percentage of his winnings. Every ace I expect a tribute to me. Let's see if he's going to stick to the agreement.”
Novak Djokovic contacts Carlos Alcaraz to discuss ‘copyright’ as new serve revealed
Today at the Australian Open: Wawrinka begins last dance
15:00 , Jamie BraidwoodFormer Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka turned the clock back to come from a set down and beat unseeded Serb Laslo Djere 5-7 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) win.
The 40-year-old Wawrinka, who claimed his three Grand Slam titles during the golden era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, is making his final Melbourne Park appearance as a wildcard after announcing that 2026 would be his last season on tour.
He made a sluggish start but roared back to life after the opening set, sealing his first Grand Slam match victory since Wimbledon in 2024 and his first in Melbourne since 2021 to huge applause from fans at a packed Kia Arena.
“I don't try to feel the same as 10 years or more ago,” Wawrinka said.
“I always been honest with myself, knowing where I am, what's my ability, what I can do, what I can still achieve, the way I can still play. I try to use that on court every matches.
“I know I'm not as good as I was before. I know I'm not physical and tennis-wise as I was before. That's normal. I'm getting old. But I'm still happy with what I'm doing, always trying to push my own limit, always trying to be better.”
How ‘centurion’ Novak Djokovic led record day for Australian Open old guard
14:30 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic kicked off his latest bid for a record 25th grand slam title at the Australian Open by making more tennis history as he notched up his 100th win at the tournament.
The 38-year-old dropped just five points on serve in his 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory over Spain’s Pedro Martinez, the world No 71, to join Roger Federer as the only players to reach a century of wins in Melbourne. Djokovic has also got 101 career wins at Roland Garros and 102 at Wimbledon, to go along with 95 at the US Open.
How ‘centurion’ Djokovic led record day for Australian Open old guard
Today at the Australian Open: 'Rusty' Swiatek battles through
14:00 , Jamie BraidwoodIga Swiatek launched her bid for a first Australian Open title with an unconvincing 7-6(5) 6-3 win over Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue under the lights at Rod Laver Arena.
Six-times Grand Slam champion Swiatek was in all sorts of trouble, broken three times by the hard-hitting Yuan whose game was levels above her 130th ranking.
"I was a bit rusty at the beginning, didn't really start well," Swiatek said on court.
"But I knew if I put in the hard work, I will play better so that's what I tried to do.
"I'm happy that it worked, many ups and downs. There are things to work on."
'Centurion is pretty nice': Novak Djokovic reacts to milestone win
13:40 , Jamie Braidwood"History-making is great motivation, particularly in the last five to 10 years of my career. Once I got myself into a position to eventually make history, I was even more inspired to play the best tennis, and that's what I've done.
"I was very fortunate early on in my career to encounter people who taught me and guided me to play the long shot, not burn out too quickly, to take care of my body and mind and try to have as long a career as possible.
"I'm blessed to be playing at this level and another win here tonight is a dream come true."
Novak Djokovic's next opponent at Australian Open
13:20 , Jamie BraidwoodA big concern for Novak Djokovic at the grand slams is keeping as much fuel in the tank for the latter stages of the tournament, so breezing through in just two hours today - in his first match of the season - was a real bonus.
Djokovic will take on Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli, who beat Terence Atmane over five sets, in the second round. So a good draw for Djokovic, for now.
Tim Henman reacts to Novak Djokovic's 'insane' milestone
13:05 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic now has a century of wins at three of the four grand slams, after reaching his 100th victory at the Australian Open today.
“It's insane,” Tim Henman says on TNT Sports. “Then you sort of think, well, at the US Open he's only got 95, so maybe that's one of the goals that he can work towards, to get a century in New York.
“It's phenomenal and I thought very interesting to hear him speak afterwards when he talks about the discipline and the motivation, the way that he trains, the way that he prepares himself. It was a brilliant start.
“It felt like it set a marker for the other players in the draw.”
Novak Djokovic reaches century of Australian Open wins
12:51 , Jamie Braidwood”I mean, what can I say? I like the sound of it. Centurion is pretty nice, nice feeling to be a centurion.
“I always give my best whenever I'm on the court. Obviously history making is great motivation, and particularly in the last five, 10 years of my career.
“Once I got myself in a position that I could eventually create history obviously I was even more inspired to play the best tennis, and that's what I've done.”
Novak Djokovic watches some Australian Open highlights after 100th win
12:47 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic is presented with some highlights of his 21 years at the Australian Open, from his 2005 debut and the record 2012 final over Rafael Nadal.
And he still keeps on going.
Novak Djokovic reaches 100 wins at the Australian Open
12:41 , Jamie BraidwoodDjokovic’s career wins at the four grand slams
Australian Open - 100*
Roland Garros - 101
Wimbledon - 102
US Open - 95
GAME, SET AND MATCH! Djokovic 6-3 6-2 6-2 Pedro Martinez
12:40 , Jamie BraidwoodAs the clock ticks to two hours, Djokovic wraps up a dominant performance to cruise to an opening win in Melbourne. He dropped just five points on serve all match and seals a 6-3 6-2 6-2 with an ace. Too good today.
Djokovic waves to the crowd - that’s his 100th win at he Australian Open. A new milestone, and he’s looking good to add to that over the fortnight as well.
*Djokovic 6-3 6-2 5-2 Pedro Martinez
12:35 , Jamie BraidwoodStunning shot from Djokovic! He reaches a volley from Martinez and flicks the angled pick-up past his opponent to get another break.
He’ll serve for the win next.
*Djokovic 6-3 6-2 3-2 Pedro Martinez
12:29 , Jamie BraidwoodDjokovic roars as he gets the break he needs in the third. Martinez, desperately trying to cling on, buckles with a double-fault, followed by an error.
Djokovic, with 44/48 points won on serve, needs just three more games to earn an 100th win at the Australian Open.
SECOND SET! Djokovic 6-3 6-2 Pedro Martinez*
11:59 , Jamie BraidwoodA first-serve ace and a second-serve ace from Djokovic as he wraps up the set with a smash over Martinez’s head. Imperious.
BREAK! *Djokovic 6-3 5-2 Pedro Martinez
11:56 , Jamie BraidwoodA wonderful backhand winner down the line from Djokovic brings up break point: Martinez then goes long and, barring something extraordinary, that will be the second set too.
Djokovic 6-3 4-2 Pedro Martinez*
11:51 , Jamie BraidwoodIt’s up to 32/36 serving points won for Djokovic and this is turning into an extremely comfortable opening night on Rod Laver Arena.
BREAK! *Djokovic 6-3 2-1 Pedro Martinez
11:37 , Jamie BraidwoodDjokovic’s forehand is firing right from the start at the Australian Open and he crushes another big return crosscourt to bring up break point. Martinez pushes it a bit too far down break point, and Djokovic will feel in total control of this now as the Spaniard fires wide.
Djokovic 6-3 1-1 Pedro Martinez*
11:33 , Jamie BraidwoodThrough his first seven service games, Djokovic has won 24/27 of his service points. He slams his sixth ace of the match to hold another game to love, as Martinez still can’t get a look in.
FIRST SET! Djokovic 6-3 Pedro Martinez
11:24 , Jamie BraidwoodToo good on serve. Djokovic is up and running. 6-3 in the opening set.
*Novak Djokovic 5-3 Pedro Martinez
11:22 , Jamie BraidwoodA brilliant crosscourt winner from Djokovic brings up set point but Martinez fends him off and lives to fight another day as Djokovic blasts a couple wide. But every service game is a battle for Martinez. Can he apply some pressure as Djokovic now serves for the set?
Novak Djokovic 5-2 Pedro Martinez*
11:12 , Jamie BraidwoodDjokovic is rolling through the service games while barely dropping a point. This has been a smooth start and he moves a game away from the opening set.
Novak Djokovic 3-1 Pedro Martinez*
11:02 , Jamie BraidwoodMartinez is having a lot less fun out on the Rod Laver Arena than he did during the One Point Slam, and makes another double-fault to face 30-30.
Djokovic crushes a forehand winner to get to break point. Martinez, though, comes into the net well to close out the game and get onto the board.
*Novak Djokovic 2-0 Pedro Martinez
10:51 , Jamie BraidwoodMartinez double-faults to hand the opening break to Djokovic, who knifed a stunning sliced approach to get on top in the game. He winced as a forehand went long on the first break point. He receives the breakthrough on the second.
Novak Djokovic 1-0 Pedro Martinez*
10:43 , Jamie BraidwoodIn his 22nd year as a professional, Djokovic is playing his 21st Australian Open and his 81st grand slam overall.
And that’s a record: he joins Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez with the most main draw appearances in history.
Djokovic holds his opening game, with a forehand winner and ace out wide catching the eye early on.
Novak Djokovic returns to Rod Laver Arena
10:36 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic is back on the Rod Laver Arena, the scene of 10 of his 24 grand slam titles. It’s the most dominant court of his career, but bids for a record-extending 25th grand slam title also ended here against Jannik Sinner in 2024 and, due to injury, Alexander Zverev in 2025.
Here, he goes again against Pedro Martinez, the World No 71, who was involved in the One Point Slam last week. Djokovic is also playing his first match of the year, and since November, and will be looking to build into the tournament, after withdrawing from Adelaide last week.
GAME, SET AND MATCH! Iga Swiatek through after first-round clash
10:22 , Jamie BraidwoodThat wasn’t easy for Iga Swiatek but she is through to the second round of the Australian Open after holding off a fight-back from qualifier Yue Yuan.
“I was a bit rusty at the beginning - I didn’t start well. But I knew if I put the hard work in, I would play better. For sure, ups and downs, I have some things to work on. It wasn’t perfect but it’s hard to win matches when things are not going well.”
The bid for the career grand slam is underway and Swiatek will play Marie Bouzkova in round two.
Novak Djokovic is up next on Rod Laver Arena.
'I'm getting old' - but Wawrinka through on Australian Open last dance
10:06 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic may be 38 - but he is not even the oldest man in the Australian Open draw. Old foe Stan Wawrinka, who defeated Djokovic in the 2014 Australian Open quarter-finals on his way to the title, is still going at the age of 40, and secured a first-round win earlier today as he begins his final tournament in Melbourne before retirement.
“I don't try to feel the same as 10 years or more ago,” Wawrinka said following his win over Laslo Djere.
“I always been honest with myself, knowing where I am, what's my ability, what I can do, what I can still achieve, the way I can still play. I try to use that on court every matches.
“I know I'm not as good as I was before. I know I'm not physical and tennis-wise as I was before. That's normal. I'm getting old. But I'm still happy with what I'm doing, always trying to push my own limit, always trying to be better.”
Coco Gauff overcomes serving woes to reach Australian Open second round
09:48 , Jamie BraidwoodCoco Gauff overcame familiar serving woes to defeat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 in her opening match at the Australian Open on Monday.
Despite her two grand slam titles, Gauff has yet to progress beyond the semi-finals at Melbourne Park, having been knocked out in the quarter-finals last year.
The American star registered six double faults in the first set against Rakhimova, though she found her rhythm to commit only one in the second.
Coco Gauff overcomes serving woes to reach Australian Open second round
Iga Swiatek in control against qualifier Yue Yuan
09:34 , Jamie BraidwoodIga Swiatek looks in total control now as the six-time grand slam champion takes the opening break in the second set and establishes a 3-0 lead. And Yue Yuan, who looked super in the first set, is now struggling with a back injury, having already played through three matches to reach the main draw as a qualifier.
Daniil Medvedev snaps grand slam losing run at Australian Open
09:29 , Jamie BraidwoodFormer world No 1 Daniil Medvedev ended his 370-day wait for a win at the grand slams after beating Jesper de Jong in the first round of the Australian Open.
Medvedev had suffered consecutive first-round exits at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open in a dismal run in 2025, following a second-round defeat to Learner Tien at the Australian Open last year.
But a revitalised Medvedev, who arrived in Melbourne having won the 22nd title of his career in Brisbane last week, rattled off a 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory over De Jong to snap his losing run at the majors in style.
Daniil Medvedev receives unexpected boost after ending grand slam losing run
FIRST SET! Iga Swiatek battles qualifier Yue Yuan
09:17 , Jamie BraidwoodAfter an extremely high level end to the first set, which reached the tiebreak, second seed Iga Swiatek battles through the challenge of qualifier Yue Yuan to take control of his first-round clash.
Swiatek was twice down a break, but fought back before edging a tight tiebreak that swung on a brutal point at 4-4. Swiatek came through it 7-5.
Novak Djokovic on his bid for a 25th grand slam title
09:02 , Jamie Braidwood“There has been a lot of talk about the 25th. I try to focus myself on what I have achieved, not what I'm possibly achieving. I mean, I hope it comes to that, but 24 is also not a bad number. I have to appreciate that and remind myself of the amazing career I had.
“And also, you know, release some of that unnecessary pressure. I mean, obviously there is always pressure and expectations, but I don't think it's a make-it-or-break-it type of thing, it’s now-or-never type of mentality. I don't feel it's necessary. Neither does that allow me to excel and perform my best.
“I'm just grateful to have another shot, particularly here, a place where I won 10 Grand Slam titles and been consistently playing well and reaching the final stages. Last couple of years also semifinals, '24 semi-finals, '25. Had a great win against Carlos in quarters last year.
“I know that when I'm healthy, when I'm able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together on a given day, I feel like I can beat anybody. If I don't have that self-belief and confidence in myself, I wouldn't be here definitely sitting here and talking to you guys or competing.
“I still have the drive, and of course I understand that, you know, Sinner and Alcaraz are playing on a different level right now from everybody else. That's a fact, but that doesn't mean that nobody else has a chance. So I like my chances always, in any tournament, particularly here.”
How the final years of Novak Djokovic’s career are being shaped by unstoppable forces
08:47 , Jamie BraidwoodGiven the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the continuation of Djokovic’s career is becoming less about the bid to win a 25th grand slam title and more the determination to appreciate what is left.
How the final years of Novak Djokovic’s career are being shaped by unstoppable forces
Felix Auger-Aliassime unable to explain sudden Australian Open retirement: ‘It hurts’
08:37 , Jamie BraidwoodThere was also a retirement on the men’s side - and a big shock at that - as seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was forced to quit his first-round match against Nuno Borges at the Australian Open.
Auger-Aliassime said he started to cramp at the start of the third set but admitted he couldn’t remember struggling physically so early into his first match at a tournament.
Felix Auger-Aliassime unable to explain Australian Open retirement: ‘It hurts’
Tearful Fran Jones forced to retire from Australian Open match due to injury
08:35 , Jamie BraidwoodFran Jones admitted she may need to seek expert physical help after retiring in tears from her first-round match at the Australian Open.
Having arrived in Melbourne unsure whether she would be fit enough to play because of a groin problem, the British number three suffered a gluteal injury in the same right leg after an early stumble against Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova.
Jones became more emotional as the contest went on and, after seeking medical help early in the second set, she decided she could not continue trailing 6-2 3-2.
Tearful Fran Jones forced to retire from Australian Open match due to injury
Novak Djokovic in late-night action on Rod Laver Arena
08:34 , Jamie BraidwoodNovak Djokovic’s first-round match against Pedro Martinez will follow the women’s singles contest between second seed Iga Swiatek and Yue Yuan.
But it’s the Chinese qualifier who has made the better start, with Yuan taking the opening break. She had a chance to make it a double-break, too, but Swiatek held on.
Australian Open order of play and tournament schedule
08:30 , Jamie BraidwoodThe opening round of the Australian Open continues on Monday as 10-time champion Novak Djokovic returns to Melbourne Park.
Djokovic, 38, may well be the third men of men’s tennis due to the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have won the last eight grand slam titles between them, but the Serbian said he does not think it will be “now or never” to win an elusive and record-breaking 25th major.
He will begin his campaign on Rod Laver Arena against Spain’s Pedro Martinez, the world No 71, in the night session. Two-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev and home favourite Alex de Minaur, the sixth seed, were also be in action.
Australian Open order of play and schedule for 2026 tournament
