Melbourne: World No. 4 Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title in emphatic fashion, defeating Spain’s Pedro Martinez in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open 2026 at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.
The Serbian great showed his trademark control and efficiency to secure a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory, advancing comfortably into the second round and underlining his intent at a tournament where he has enjoyed unparalleled success.
Djokovic, who is chasing history in Melbourne, was dominant from the start, using his precision serving and relentless baseline consistency to keep Martinez under constant pressure. The Spaniard struggled to gain a foothold in the match as Djokovic dictated play across all three sets.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion struck 14 aces during the contest and did not commit a single double fault, highlighting the sharpness of his serve early in the tournament. He won an impressive 93 per cent of points on his first serve and 85 per cent on his second, giving Martinez few opportunities to challenge.
Martinez, who managed just two aces and committed six double faults, found it difficult to cope with Djokovic’s depth and variety. While the Spaniard showed moments of resistance, particularly in extended rallies, he was unable to convert any break point chances, finishing the match without a single break opportunity.
Djokovic, in contrast, converted five of his 12 break-point chances and won a staggering 46 receiving points. He claimed 98 total points in the match compared to Martinez’s 57, reflecting the one-sided nature of the contest.
Coco Gauff started her quest for a maiden Australian Open title with a 6-2 6-3 win over Kamilla Rakhimova.
Third seed Gauff wobbled on serve at times and was broken as she tried to close out the match at 5-2 in the second set against her Uzbek oppoenent.
However, Rakhimova gave up two match points on serve in the very next game and then surrendered the contest with a backhand over the baseline.
A former semi-finalist at Melbourne Park and a quarter-finalist last year, French Open champion Gauff is seeking a third Grand Slam title.
She will next meet left-hander Olga Danilovic, who knocked Venus Williams out on day one, for a place in the third round.
Iga 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.
Swiatek will meet Czech Marie Bouzkova for a place in the third round as she continues her quest for the career Grand Slam, having won crowns at the other three majors.
Daniil Medvedev was looking forward to plunging into an ice bath on Monday after the former world number one overcame the Melbourne heat and serving issues to beat Jesper de Jong 7-5, 6-2, 7-6(2) in the first round of the Australian Open.
Former champion Sofia Kenin was knocked out by fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-2.
Australian qualifier Storm Hunter beat Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-4 to move into the second round.
Portugal’s Nuno Borges moved into the second round after Felix Auger-Aliassime retired from their match with what seemed like a thigh injury.
Borges was leading 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 when the seventh-seeded Canadian retired.
Meanwhile, the home favourite Alex de Minaur wasted little time in reaching the second round as the world No. 6 raced to a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 triumph against Mackenzie McDonald inside Rod Laver Arena.
De Minaur reached the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time in 2025. His next opponent at this year’s edition of his home major will be Hamad Medjedovic, who held off Mariano Navone for a 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2 first-round win.
Elsewhere, in the women’s singles game, Auger-Aliassime’s fellow countrywoman Jessica Pegula cruised past Anastasia Zakharova 6-2, 6-1 in 66 minutes to reach the second round in Melbourne. Agencies
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