JAKARTA - Novak Djokovic's attempt to break the record for Grand Slam titles at the 2026 Australian Open is likely to face obstacles again as he is on the same draw path as Jannik Sinner.
The draw results for the opening Grand Slam event of the season have been officially released by the organizers on Thursday, January 15, 2026. Djokovic and Sinner are in the draw chart that allows them to meet in the semifinals.
"The draw is very difficult, no matter who your opponent is. We are the best players in the world and the road is very, very long and far. We will go through it day by day," said Sinner as quoted from the ATP website.
Djokovic came to Melbourne Park this year to chase his 11th title there. In addition, he is still chasing his 25th Grand Slam title, which will automatically break the record in the singles category.
The number of 24 Grand Slam titles he currently has is still on par with the collection of Australian tennis legend, Margaret Court. So, Djokovic needs one more title to become the most successful singles title holder in history.
However, if he manages to advance far into the semifinals and meet Sinner, then Djokovic's efforts are sure to be difficult. The reason is that Sinner is the champion in the last two editions at the Australian Open and is in the best form.
On the other hand, Djokovic, who is 38 years old, recently decided to withdraw from the Adelaide International, which made his fitness ahead of the Australian Open a question.
In addition, Sinner currently has a 6-4 win-loss record against Djokovic. The 24-year-old Italian defeated Djokovic in the 2024 Australian Open semi-final on his way to winning his first Grand Slam title in his career.
This year, Sinner, who is the second seed, will be chasing his third consecutive title at Melbourne Park and his fifth Grand Slam title overall.
He will face French left-hander Hugo Gaston in the first round. Djokovic, meanwhile, will begin his campaign against Pedro Martinez.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz will come in as the top seed at the 2026 Australian Open. He occupies the top draw and will begin his journey against host representative Adam Walton.
Alcaraz also came to Australia this year with big ambitions to lift the Norman Brookes trophy, the only Grand Slam trophy he has not yet in his collection.
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