Novak Djokovic withdraws from Adelaide International, to return to action directly at Australian Open

Novak Djokovic has decided to pull out of the Adelaide International, choosing to return to competitive action directly at the Australian Open. The Serbian star confirmed the news on Monday through a message shared on his social media accounts, disappointing fans who were hoping to see him in action before the season’s first Grand Slam.

Djokovic said he is not fully ready from a physical point of view and does not want to take any risks so early in the season. In his Instagram story, the 38-year-old admitted that missing the Adelaide event was personally disappointing, especially because of the special memories he has at the tournament. He also mentioned that playing in Adelaide feels like playing at home due to the strong support.

The former world No. 1 said he was excited about returning to Adelaide but felt it was more important to focus on his preparation for the 2026 Australian Open. He added that he is looking forward to arriving in Melbourne soon for the first Grand Slam of the season and meeting the Australian fans.

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Here’s what Djokovic said

“To all my fans in Adelaide, unfortunately, I am not quite physically ready to compete in the Adelaide International next week. It’s personally very disappointing to me as I have such great memories of winning the title there two years ago. I was really excited about returning as it truly feels like playing at home. My focus is now on my preparation for the Australian Open and I look forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and seeing all the tennis fans in Australia,” he wrote.

With this withdrawal, Djokovic will begin his 2026 season at the Australian Open, a tournament where he has enjoyed unmatched success. He has lifted the trophy a record 10 times in Melbourne and is once again expected to be one of the top contenders alongside Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

In the last two editions of the Australian Open, Djokovic reached the semi-finals but fell short of the title. He lost to Sinner in 2024 and was beaten by Alexander Zverev in the 2025 semi-final. Despite those setbacks, the Serbian will be aiming to make another deep run and add his historic 25th Slam.