Novak Djokovic eyes another incredible milestone after reaching third round of Australian Open

By SABC Sport
22nd January 2026

Novak Djokovic eased into the third round of the Australian Open with a commanding 6-3 6-2 6-2 win over Francesco Maestrelli, moving within one match of 400 grand slam victories.

The 38-year-old looked sharp and economical, moving smoothly and striking cleanly throughout a dominant afternoon on court.

Already celebrating his 100th match victory at the Australian Open after his first-round win, Djokovic required seven set points to secure the 47-minute opening set before tightening his grip on proceedings. He controlled the baseline exchanges with ease and was particularly impressive on serve, winning 86 per cent of his first-serve points (43/50).

Djokovic faced brief resistance early in the second set, saving two break points in his opening service game by forcing forehand return errors from the 23-year-old Maestrelli.

"I didn't know much about him until yesterday actually, it happens more often than not these days for me," said Djokovic at the Rod Laver Arena.

"Respect is always there, and you don't underestimate anyone. He's got a big serve, he's got a big game, obviously he's still lacking experience on the big stage but he's got the game to go far and to go high in the rankings so I wish him that."

Should Djokovic win his next match, he will become the first player in tennis history to reach 400 wins in Grand Slam events.

Looking ahead, Djokovic is projected to face Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals, with a potential semifinal showdown against two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner.

Musetti advanced in style earlier in the day, brushing aside fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-3 6-3 6-4 to equal his best-ever Australian Open result. The fifth seed will next face either 31st seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Czech Tomas Machac.