When will Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner play their first Australian Open? | ATP Tour
australian open
When will Djokovic and Sinner play their first Australian Open match?
The Serbian plays on Monday and two-time defending champion Sinner starts on Tuesday
January 18, 2026
Martin Cape/AFP via Getty Images
Novak Djokovic aims to win his 100th main draw match at the Australian Open.
Written by ATP Staff
Record 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic will start his 21st appearance at the first Grand Slam of the season on Monday. The Serbian will face Spain’s Pedro Martinez in the final match of the evening.
Djokovic is aiming for his 100th main draw win in Melbourne and has an action-packed schedule. This will be the first Lexus ATP showdown between the 38-year-old Djokovic and Martinez, ranked 71st in the PIF ATP rankings. Iga Swiatek and Yuan Yue begin night training at 7pm AEDT/3am ET, followed by Djokovic and Martinez.
Also on day two, home favorite Alex de Minaur will start his match against American Mackenzie McDonald at Rod Laver Arena. Three-time finalists Daniil Medvedev and Casper Rudd, fresh off their triumph in Brisbane, will compete at Margaret Court Arena.
Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner will have to wait until Tuesday to begin his bid for a third straight title. The second-seeded Italian, who has a 22-4 tournament record, will face French southpaw Hugo Gaston in the first round.
