Djokovic wins opening match against Martinez at Australian Open

Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal to claim his 25th Grand Slam victory in Melbourne, setting a new record for the Australian Open.

In two hours, the Serb will face second-round qualifier Francesco Maestrelli from Italy after beating Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, and 6-2 on Monday.

His 100th victory at the Australian Open was noteworthy.

The energizing 38-year-old said at Rod Laver Arena, “Great to be back once more, definitely my favorite court.”

“Centurion is pretty nice. On the court, I always do my best. Making history is a powerful motivator.

He continued, “I am blessed to be playing at this level.”

Serbian fans serenaded their hero as the former world number one raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set.

Djokovic, who is currently fourth in the world, canceled this month’s warm-up because he was not physically fit.

As he tries to minimize the strain on his creaking body, he only played competitively in the beginning of November.

However, he didn’t show any signs of annoyance or rustiness as he jokingly maneuvered around the Melbourne Park court to seal the first set without much fuss.

Early in the second set, he broke Martinez’s 71st-ranked serve and didn’t have a single issue with his own serve, which gave him a 2-0 lead.

Djokovic’s only concern came when he stretched out his right hamstring in the middle of the third set, which proceeded in much the same manner.

If Djokovic wants to break a tie with Margaret Court and claim the 25th major with an all-time record, he will need to gatecrash Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Sinner has dominated the majors for the past two years, joining Alcaraz and Sinner, who is the two-time defending champion of the Australian Open.

Since winning the US Open in 2023, Djokovic has won 24 major titles.

After missing his match against Alexander Zverev with an injury, he made it to the last four in Melbourne a year ago.

In his 81st Grand Slam appearance, he also made history, equaling his all-time record with Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez, who both had previous records for men’s singles appearances.