Melbourne or nothing: Novak Djokovic to open his 2026 season directly at the Australian Open

As the off-season continues, ATP and WTA stars are beginning to build their calendars for the 2026 season. The Australian swing will dominate the first month of the year, featuring various tournaments across the continent and culminating in the main event: the Australian Open. The qualifiers are set to begin on January 12, with the main draw running from Sunday, January 18, to Sunday, February 1.

One name drawing significant attention ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam is 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic. He returns to Melbourne on a mission to be competitive in best-of-five matches once again and to challenge the dominance established by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner over the last two years.

At the start of 2025, Djokovic—who had recently added Andy Murray to his coaching team—decided to travel to the Brisbane International. There, he reached the quarterfinals in singles and played doubles alongside Nick Kyrgios, who was making his return to the court after a 19-month absence.

However, this time "Nole" will be absent from Brisbane. Following the release of the entry list, the Serbian is noticeably missing. He has effectively ruled out playing the Brisbane International and the United Cup—a tournament he played in 2024, but which Serbia will not participate in this year. He also does not appear on the entry list for the Hong Kong Open, indicating he will not play any preparation tournaments.

While this is not a new formula for Djokovic, it marks a shift from his approach over the last couple of years, where he sought to arrive at the first Grand Slam of the year with more competitive rhythm. As a result, Djokovic will likely arrive at the Australian Open without having played a prior tournament, with his last appearance on Tour dating back to early November, when he was crowned champion of the Hellenic Championships in Athens, defeating Lorenzo Musetti in the final.

The early-season events have confirmed their fields: the United Cup will feature stars such as Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Alex de Minaur, while Lorenzo Musetti and Alexander Bublik will be the favorites at the Hong Kong Open. Meanwhile, Brisbane will host stars including Daniil Medvedev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Tommy Paul.

Djokovic is thus one of four top-10 players with no confirmed tournaments for the start of the year, meaning the Australian Open will be their season debut. The two biggest favorites for the title are also choosing to train behind closed doors before heading to the first major: 2-time defending champion Jannik Sinner and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Both have opted out of the United Cup with their respective nations and will not play other tournaments before traveling to Melbourne.

Djokovic faces the major task of finally disrupting the reign of Sinner and Alcaraz, who have split the four Grand Slams between them over the last two years. During 2025, Djokovic faltered four times in the semifinals; in Melbourne, he will have another chance to break through that barrier.

The Serbian is guaranteed the No. 4 seed, a significant boost for his campaign as it ensures he avoids both Alcaraz and Sinner until a potential semifinal showdown.

Djokovic holds a total of 10 Australian Open titles with an incredible 99-10 record (91%). A victory in the first round would see him achieve the milestone of 100 wins in Melbourne—a feat he has already accomplished at Roland Garros (101) and Wimbledon (102).