Djokovic's 399th Grand Slam Win: Serb Sweeps Past Maestrelli Into Australian Open Third Round

Djokovic Dominates Maestrelli, Eyes 25th Major Title With Ruthless Efficiency at Australian Open

© AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 22/01/2026 à 06h00

2 min to read

Djokovic Novak Maestrelli Francesco Open d'Australie Van de Zandschulp

Novak Djokovic aims to continue his journey in Melbourne. The Serbian, world No. 4, had perfectly managed his opening match by defeating Pedro Martinez in two hours of play and wanted to conserve maximum energy for his second round.

Facing Francesco Maestrelli, a qualifier who upset Térence Atmane in the first round, the 38-year-old player was a heavy favorite in this encounter.

In this match, Djokovic knew how to make the difference very quickly in each set. A break in his first return game in the first two sets was enough to allow him to pull away on the scoreboard.

Although Maestrelli was courageous in this match (29 winners against 19 for Djokovic), the man with ten Australian Open titles made his experience count.

18th Qualification to the Round of 16 in Melbourne for Djokovic

Ultimately, Djokovic followed up with another victory in three sets. He wins (6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in 2h15) and reaches the third round of the Australian Open for the 18th time in 21 participations.

Apart from in 2005, 2006, and 2017, he has always advanced past the second round in Melbourne and will face Botic van de Zandschulp, who upset Shang Juncheng (7-6, 6-2, 6-3 in 2h13).

The two men are tied in head-to-head meetings (1-1), and the Dutchman won the most recent one last year at Indian Wells. Meanwhile, Djokovic can savor his 399th Grand Slam victory, the 101st at Melbourne Park. The Serbian is still in contention to win a 25th Major title, as he hopes to play his first final in this tournament since 2023.