Novak Djokovic moves to Australian Open quarter-finals after Jakub Mensik withdraws
NewsSunday, 25 January 2026 at 10:32
Novak Djokovic will play in the 2026 Australian Open quarter-finals after Jakub Mensik withdrew one day before their match.
Djokovic beat Pedro Martinez, Francesco Maestrelli, and Botic van de Zandschulp, all without losing a set, to reach the fourth round of this year's Australian Open. His next opponent was supposed to be Jakub Mensik, who beat the Serbian in the Miami Open final last year.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion knew there was a huge test ahead of him, as Mensik is an incredibly talented player. In fact, the Czech player is the highest-ranked under-21 player on the ATP Tour.
However, that match won't happen. Despite seemingly cruising through the Australian Open draw, Mensik has been struggling with an abdominal injury, which is why he withdrew from the tournament. Mensik announced his withdrawal through a social media post.
"This is a tough one to write. After doing everything we could to keep going, I have to withdraw from the Australian Open due to an abdominal muscle injury that has progressed over the last matches. After a long discussions with my team and doctors we decided not to step on court tomorrow. Even though I'm disappointed, making the 4th round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time."
"I felt so much energy from the fans and the atmosphere in Melbourne was truly special. Thank you to my team for being with me every step, and to everyone sending messages and cheering - it means more than you know. Now it's time to recover properly."
Djokovic will certainly feel sympathy for Mensik, but at the same time, his withdrawal is something the Serbian really needed. Djokovic himself has been battling his body for the past year, and having to play one less match significantly improves his chances of succeeding at the Australian Open.
Up next, the 10-time champion will take on the winner of the match between the fifth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti and ninth-seeded Taylor Fritz. Both will be a huge challenge for Djokovic, so he will have to be on top of his game, and an extra day of rest might help him achieve that.
Despite doing well in his first three matches, Djokovic refused to look too far ahead after his most recent win.
"It’s been a great start to the tournament. But I’m not getting ahead of myself. I learned a lesson last year, I got too ahead of myself too early in some of the Grand Slams. I’m trying to give these young guys a push for their money. I’m still around. I’m hanging in there."
Djokovic knows that to win the Australian Open this year, he might need to beat both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. However, he remains confident that anything can happen on a tennis court, especially with his experience.
"Obviously Alcaraz and Sinner are the two best players in the world. They’re playing at a different level than all of us right now, but when you enter the court and the ball rolls, you always have a chance, particularly here on the court that has given me the most in my career."
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