Novak Djokovic produced a serving masterclass to register his 100th victory at the Australian Open, defeating Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-2 6-2 in a two-hour exhibition of control and precision on Rod Laver Arena.
The world number four dropped just five points on serve across the entire match, won 93% of points behind his first delivery and recorded eight holds to love, closing out the contest with his 14th ace of the evening. The performance marked another milestone in Melbourne, where he has lifted the trophy 10 times, most recently in 2023.
With this result, Djokovic became the first and only player in history to reach 100 or more match wins at three different Grand Slams, having already achieved the feat at Wimbledon (102) and Roland Garros (101). The achievement further underlines his status as the most consistent performer across the sport’s biggest stages.
‘Tonight’s performance was great, I can’t complain about anything. I served very well,’ Djokovic said. ‘It’s always a challenge to kick-start the tournament on the right note and send the right signal, not only to yourself but your opponents watching you play. I have a couple of days without a match to recover my body, and I’m using every hour to get in shape for the next challenge.’
Djokovic, who is bidding for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title, will face Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli in the second round. Despite playing his first competitive match in over two months, there were no signs of rust as he dictated play from the baseline and neutralised Martinez’s serve with relentless accuracy.
The 38-year-old Serb also reflected on the importance of long-term career planning in sustaining his dominance. ‘Once I got myself in a position where I could eventually create history, I was even more inspired to play the best tennis,’ he said. ‘I was fortunate early in my career to encounter people who guided me to play the long shot, not to burn out too quickly and to take care of my body and my mind.’
Elsewhere on day two in Melbourne, sixth seed Alex de Minaur strengthened his status as Australia’s leading hope by dismantling lucky loser Mackenzie McDonald 6-2 6-2 6-2. The 26-year-old, who has reached the quarter-finals at all four majors, insisted he is no longer satisfied with merely competing deep into tournaments.
‘I’m not just another number in the draw,’ De Minaur said. ‘I’m playing to win it, to be one of the guys in contention.’
Other leading seeds also progressed smoothly. Thirteenth seed Andrey Rublev beat Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets, while 12th seed Casper Ruud dropped just seven games in his win over Mattia Bellucci. American 19th seed Tommy Paul and Spain’s 14th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also advanced without dropping a set.
However, there was an early shock as Czech 17th seed Jiri Lehecka suffered a straight-sets defeat to French qualifier Arthur Gea, setting up a second-round clash between Gea and former champion Stan Wawrinka.
With top contenders finding form and surprises already emerging, the opening days of the Australian Open have set the tone for a compelling tournament. Yet once again, the spotlight belonged to Djokovic, whose century of wins in Melbourne adds another defining chapter to a career built on longevity, precision and an enduring hunger for history.
