In a breathtaking display of serving precision, Novak Djokovic achieved a monumental milestone at the Australian Open, securing his 100th career victory at Melbourne Park while delivering what commentators described as one of the most dominant serving performances in recent tennis history.
The Serbian champion, currently ranked world number four and pursuing an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title, dismantled Spain’s Pedro Martínez with surgical efficiency. Djokovic’s service statistics bordered on the supernatural: he dropped merely five points out of 57 on serve throughout the two-hour contest, maintained a 77% first-serve accuracy rate, and won a staggering 93% of points behind his first delivery. The match concluded fittingly with Djokovic’s 14th ace of the evening, sealing a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 triumph.
Tennis legend Mark Woodforde, a 17-time Grand Slam doubles champion, characterized Djokovic’s performance as “supreme” and “exceptional” during BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary. Djokovic himself offered a characteristically measured assessment: “Tonight’s performance was great, I can’t complain about anything. I served very well. It’s always a challenge to kick-start the tournament on the right note and send the right signal not only to yourself but your opponents watching you play.”
The victory places Djokovic in an exclusive club of players who have achieved 100 wins at multiple Grand Slam events, having previously reached this milestone at Wimbledon (102 wins) and Roland Garros (101 wins). During his post-match interview, tournament organizers commemorated the achievement with video highlights from his 2005 main-draw debut, though Djokovic remained focused on the present, quipping that he would only reflect on his accomplishments when “putting the racquet aside [and] sipping some nice cocktail on the beach.”
Looking ahead, Djokovic will face Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli in the second round, using the intervening days to recover and prepare. Beyond immediate tournament objectives, Djokovic revealed that “history-making is great motivation,” particularly in the latter stages of his career. He credited early mentors for guiding him “to play the long shot with my career, not to burn out too quickly, and take care of my body and my mind.”
Elsewhere in the draw, Australian hope Alex de Minaur launched his campaign with a commanding straight-sets victory, declaring his ambition to become the first home men’s champion since 1976. Higher seeds Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Tommy Paul all advanced comfortably, while Czech 17th seed Jiří Lehečka suffered an unexpected early exit against French qualifier Arthur Gea.