Novak Djokovic continues perfect outing in Australian Open

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Novak Djokovic’s quest for another Grand Slam title is still alive after manhandling Francesco Maestrelli of Italy, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, in the ongoing Australian Open on Jan. 22, 2026, at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

Fresh off a lopsided showcase against Pedro Martinez in the first round, Djokovic picked up where he left off and extended his perfect streak without dropping a single set in the first two rounds.

Unlike his convincing win over Martinez, where he relied on his efficient first serve after firing 14 aces, Djokovic had to adjust his approach against the Italian and navigate his options in the baseline exchanges.

Djokovic piled up groundstroke points midway through the opener after securing the first break and didn’t look back. Through a hitting pattern of a double forehand leading to a drop shot into the net, Maestrelli knew he was in for a long day as he couldn’t figure out the Serbian’s point of attack.

The situation became more confusing for Maestrelli in the second set after Djokovic again shifted to a more aggressive approach at the net.

From a baseline-heavy offense in the first set, the 24-time Grand Slam winner dictated the tempo by pressing forward, scoring a barrage of smashes and volleys to mount a 4-1 advantage.

Djokovic capped the set with another service hold and put the crowd on its feet on his 40th set point in the eighth game of the set after a passing shot that breezed past Maestrelli’s shoulders.

With nothing working for the Italian challenger, Maestrelli resorted to emergency lobs in hopes of disrupting Djokovic’s forehand drives, but to no avail as the more experienced Serbian shortened rallies to a maximum of five exchanges with a booming backhand down the line.

Despite tallying four double faults in the match, Djokovic compensated by firing four aces as part of his 102-point tally.

He also dominated points on return, 48-24, converted six break points and wrapped up the second-round win with an 87% success rate on his first-serve points.

Djokovic will have one more day of rest before returning to the court on Jan. 24, 2026, against a familiar foe in Botic van de Zandschulp.