Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from a warm-up match at the Australian Open in Adelaide, saying on Monday he was not prepared to return to the court ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam.
“For all my fans in Adelaide, unfortunately my body is not quite ready for next week’s Adelaide International,” Djokovic posted on social media. “It’s very disappointing for me personally because I have such great memories of winning the championship there two years ago. I’m really excited to be back because it really feels like playing at home.”
The 38-year-old Djokovic, who holds the men’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, has not played a formal match in nearly two months. On November 8, he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Greek Championship in Athens and subsequently announced his withdrawal from the ATP Finals for the second consecutive year, citing a shoulder injury.
“My focus now is on preparing for the Australian Open,” Djokovic wrote on Monday. “I look forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and meeting all the tennis fans in Australia.”
The main draw will begin on January 18 at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic has set a record for the start of a Grand Slam season by winning hard-court Grand Slam titles a total of 10 times, most recently in 2023.
He has been eliminated in the semifinals each of the past two years, including in the 2025 round against Alexander Zverev, who was forced to stop playing after a set due to a torn hamstring.
Djokovic reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments last season.
He started the season ranked fourth behind Carlos Alcaraz, Yannik Sinner and Zverev.
Adelaide’s withdrawal came a day after Djokovic announced he would cut ties with the Professional Tennis Players Association, which he co-founded and last year sued the sport’s governing body in a bid to gain more money and influence for the sport’s players.
