Djokovic wins his 399th Grand Slam match and advances to the third round of the Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic dropped serve for the first time at the Australian Open and then never dropped another point against Francesco Mastrelli, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the third round.
It was Djokovic’s 399th Grand Slam singles victory, one shy of the 24-time Grand Slam champion becoming the first player in history to reach 400.
The break in the sixth game of Thursday’s third set was almost as if Djokovic was previewing what was to come. He hit the net on his second serve, but then gave up on a missed volley.
That stung the 38-year-old Djokovic, a renowned perfectionist. In the next game, he broke Mastrelli at love to make it 5-2, and he put the final ball into the net after the 141st-ranked Italian hit a long shot.
Djokovic ended the match with eight points. He is seeking an 11th title and 25th Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park in Australia, which would make him the most decorated tennis player of all time.
“I didn’t know much about him until yesterday,” Djokovic said of the 23-year-old Mastrelli, who advanced through qualifying to make his Grand Slam main draw debut. “Respect is always there, though. I don’t underestimate anybody.
“His serve is great. His game is exciting. He’s inexperienced on the big stage, but his game is exciting.”
In the third round, Djokovic will face Botik van der Zandschulp, who defeated Shang Juncheng 7-6(6), 6-2, 6-3.
Defending champion Madison Keys suffered a double break in the second set before beating fellow American Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 7-5.
“Once I got my momentum back, I just tried to get into this set as hard as I could,” Keys said of the second set.
Keys made her Grand Slam breakthrough in Melbourne 12 months ago and throughout her return so far, people have been asking her how confident she is of defending her Grand Slam title for the first time.
“Emotions are probably just a little heightened,” she said. “I think in tough moments like today, going down in the second set, just remind yourself that you’ve been here before and you’ve figured it out.”
Additionally, she told the crowd during an on-field interview that winning the Daphne Ackhurst Memorial Cup last year will always be a lasting highlight.
“It was such an amazing experience and no one can take that away from me,” she said. “Whether I repeat it or not, I’m still leaving Daphne at home!”
Keys will next face former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova, who defeated Indonesia’s Janice Tjen 6-4, 6-4. Pliskova played just three matches last year as she recovers from ankle surgery after the 2024 U.S. Open.
Two other top-ranked U.S. women advanced in an equally tough quarter-final draw, with fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova beating doubles champion Katrina Siniakova 6-1, 6-4 in a raucous atmosphere at Margaret Court Arena, and sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula beating her doubles partner McCartney Kessler 6-0, 6-2.
Anisimova, runner-up in the past two tournaments, will face fellow American Payton Stearns.
Pegula will next face Oksana Selehmeteva, who defeated 2025 semifinalist Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-4.
Eighth seed Ben Shelton, who reached the semifinals last year, advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Australian qualifier Dane Sweeney, who ended 39-year-old Gael Monfils’ farewell tour at Melbourne Park in the first round.
Fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti defeated fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
Jannik Sinner will continue his quest for a third successive Australian title when he takes on local wildcard James Duckworth in the opening match at Rod Laver Arena.
Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka makes a strong debut in her first match as she takes on Sorana Sistia at Margaret Court Arena.
