Djokovic Hunts Century Mark in Melbourne Opener
Under Melbourne’s lights, Novak Djokovic eyes his 100th win at the Australian Open while Jannik Sinner waits a day to defend his crown. Day 2 blends veteran grit with rising stakes on hard courts primed for early drama.
Monday’s draw at the Australian Open hums with the quiet pressure of fresh starts, where every baseline exchange hints at the fortnight ahead. Novak Djokovic, a record 10-time champion at the Australian Open, steps into his 21st campaign, the courts’ familiar bounce meeting a player whose game has etched itself into Melbourne’s lore. Facing Spaniard Pedro Martinez in the evening’s finale, the 38-year-old Serbian chases his 100th main-draw victory here, a number that captures decades of dominance on these sun-baked hard courts.
Djokovic adapts to Martinez‘s steady fire
This first ATP Head2Head meeting pits Djokovic against Martinez, ranked No. 71 in the PIF ATP Rankings, under lights that sharpen every shadow. Djokovic’s return game, deep and unyielding, could disrupt the Spaniard’s flat crosscourt serves, turning points into grinding affairs where heavy topspin forehands stretch the baseline wide. The medium-paced surface rewards his elastic defense, allowing inside-out redirects that force errors, though Martinez’s consistent grinding might test the Serb’s knee after recent adjustments.
The action-packed schedule builds from Iga Swiatek and Yuan Yue opening the night at 7 p.m. AEDT, their crisp rallies setting a tone of precision that Djokovic will amplify. Fans pack Rod Laver Arena, the air thick with anticipation as the world No. 1 uses these openers to calibrate his one–two patterns, blending serve with backhand slices to control tempo early.
De Minaur ignites home crowd energy
Home favorite Alex de Minaur lights up Rod Laver Arena against American Mackenzie McDonald, the crowd’s surge a force that bends the game’s rhythm. De Minaur’s fleet coverage and inside-out forehands thrive here, disrupting McDonald’s flat efficiency with underspin backhands that skid low on the hard courts. At No. 8, he leverages the nation’s roar to fuel down-the-line passes, turning potential upsets into statements of intent.
Over at Margaret Court Arena, three-time finalist Daniil Medvedev arrives with Brisbane momentum, his counterpunching deep returns neutralizing pace on the true bounce. Casper Ruud joins, his heavy topspin forehand wearing down foes in humid conditions, as both shake off preseason layers. These matches layer the day’s tactical depth, where surface speed demands quick adjustments to build toward deeper runs.
Sinner plots three-peat from the wings
Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner waits until Tuesday for his bid at a three-peat, his 22-4 tournament record a quiet testament to mastery here. The second-seeded Italian meets French lefty Hugo Gaston in the opener, where Sinner’s explosive flat groundstrokes meet the lefty’s unorthodox spin and net rushes. Melbourne’s conditions favor his efficiency, blasting inside-in forehands to counter crosscourt temptations while his movement dictates from deep.
The delay lets Sinner study angles, fine-tuning returns against Gaston’s high-kicking serves that veer wide. Ranked outside the top 100, Gaston mixes underspin slices with drop shots to disrupt, but the Italian’s 1–2 baseline setups promise control, his calm focus masking the weight of defending a throne. As Day 2 fades, these narratives tighten, pulling the draw toward collisions that will define the Australian Open‘s early pulse.
