Novak Djokovic kicked off his latest bid for a record 25th grand slam title at the Australian Open by making more tennis history as he notched up his 100th win at the tournament.
The 38-year-old dropped just five points on serve in his 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory over Spain’s Pedro Martinez, the world No 71, to join Roger Federer as the only players to reach a century of wins in Melbourne. Djokovic has also got 101 career wins at Roland Garros and 102 at Wimbledon, to go along with 95 at the US Open.
“I like the sound of it – centurion is pretty nice,” Djokovic said. “History-making is great motivation, particularly in the last five to 10 years of my career. Once I got myself into a position to eventually make history, I was even more inspired to play the best tennis, and that’s what I’ve done.
“I was very fortunate early on in my career to encounter people who taught me and guided me to play the long shot, not burn out too quickly, to take care of my body and mind, and try to have as long a career as possible. I’m blessed to be playing at this level, and another win here tonight is a dream come true.”
Djokovic, who also tied Federer and Feliciano Lopez’s record of 81 grand slam appearances, was dominant on his first competitive match of the season as he raced to victory in just over two hours, with the 10-time winner increasingly aware of how important it is to keep energy in the tank ahead of potential showdowns with defending champion Jannik Sinner, and top seed Carlos Alcaraz, later in the tournament.
It also added to a stellar day for the old guard in Melbourne, with Stan Wawrinka becoming the second-oldest man of all time to win a match at the Australian Open at the age of 40.
Three-time grand slam champion and former Australian Open winner Wawrinka, who will be retiring at the end of the season, defeated Laslo Djere 5-7 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) for his first win at the tournament in five years.
Meanwhile, Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion and former Australian Open finalist, won the first 12 games in a row as the 37-year-old breezed past Daniel Altmaier 6-0 6-0 7-6(3).
Djokovic, in the curious position he finds himself in at this stage of his career, still believes he can end Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominance at the majors – and having reached all four grand slam semi-finals last season, the Serbian is primed for another shot at a record-breaking title.
“Performance-wise, the feeling on the court, it was great. I couldn’t ask for more,” Djokovic said. “I’m using every hour that I can to get my body recovered and in shape for the next challenge.”
Wawrinka, who turns 41 in March, is under no illusion that he is no longer the same force that broke through the dominance of prime Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Federer to win the Australian Open in 2014, with the Swiss now ranked 139 in the world and requiring a wildcard to wave an emotional goodbye to the tournament.
“I wish it would feel the same, the same power and everything,” he smiled. “No, I don’t try to feel the same as 10 years or more ago. I’ve always been honest with myself, knowing where I am, what’s my ability, what I can do, what I can still achieve, the way I can still play. I try to use that on court every matches.
“I know I’m not as good as I was before. I know I’m not physical and tennis-wise as I was before. That’s normal. I’m getting old. But I’m still happy with what I’m doing, always trying to push my own limit, always trying to be better. I’m happy that I had the chance to win a match here.”
Elsewhere, Fran Jones admitted she may need to seek expert physical help after retiring in tears from her first-round match.
Having arrived in Melbourne unsure whether she would be fit enough to play because of a groin problem, the British No 3 suffered a gluteal injury in the same right leg after an early stumble against Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova.
Jones became more emotional as the contest went on and, after seeking medical help early in the second set, decided she could not continue trailing 6-2 3-2.
Jones is unfortunately no stranger to retirements and has had to overcome major physical challenges linked to a genetic condition that means she only has three fingers and a thumb on each hand and seven toes.
She gave herself an ultimatum last season that she would quit if she did not reach the top 100. Having hit a career high of 69 last week following a first top-20 win over Emma Navarro, Jones is now determined to find a way to compete at the top level week in, week out.
“It kills me that it’s here because, this slam, I absolutely adore,” said Jones. “It was my first main draw slam I ever played. It’s now my first direct entry. If I was someone that didn’t know how to pick myself up quickly, I would be effed.
“So I let it all out, kicked and screamed for an hour, and now I’ve just been sat speaking to [my team] about where we go from here.”
Jacob Fearnley also exited in the first round as his difficult start to the season continued.
The Scot, who reached the third round on his debut last year, was beaten 7-6(2) 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) by Pole Kamil Majchrzak.
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