Djokovic wins opening match against Martinez at Australian Open | Tennis News

Novak Djokovic opened his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a straight sets victory over Pedro Martinez.

Novak Djokovic opened his latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam with a straight sets win at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

The Serb defeated Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in two hours on Monday and will face Italian qualifier Francesco Mestrelli in the second round.

It was his 100th Australian Open win.

“It’s great to be back again, definitely my favorite court,” said the smiling 38-year-old at Rod Laver Arena.

“Centurian is great. I always give my best on the court. Making history is a big motivation.”

He added: “I’m happy I’m still playing at this level.”

The former world number one led 3-0 in the first set as the Serbian fans serenaded their hero.

Now world number four, Djokovic pulled out of a practice tournament this month, saying he was not physically ready.

His last competitive bout was in early November as he tries to limit the wear and tear on his frail body.

But he showed no signs of discomfort or rust as he moved freely on the Melbourne Park hard court to win the first set with minimal fuss.

He broke 71st-ranked Martinez’s serve early in the second set and had trouble on his own serve to take a 2-0 lead.

The third set went much the same, with the only moment of concern for Djokovic fans coming when he raised a right forehand between games.

Djokovic will have to gatecrash Carlos Alcaraz and Janic Siner if he wants to break the tie with Margaret Court and win a record 25th major.

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

After winning the US Open in 2023, Djokovic is tied for 24 major titles.

A year ago he reached the last four in Melbourne but retired with an injury in his match against Alexander Zverev.

He made history in yet another way on Monday in his 81st Grand Slam tournament, tying old rivals Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez for the all-time record in men’s singles matches.