Novak Djokovic looked crisp in his first three matches at the 2026 Australian Open. He didn't drop a set, and only once had to face a tie-break. The 38-year-old great was playing as if he believed he could win the major for an 11th time, no matter what John McEnroe might have been saying about him.
The importance of relatively short matches early in Melbourne is likely more important for Djokovic than it is for players like Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner. Younger legs need less rest, so any break the Serb can get in the first week of the event might help him in the second.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner got another break ahead of the fourth round. His opponent, Jakub Mensik, was forced to withdraw due to an abdominal injury. This allows Djokovic to slide freely into the quarterfinals, just three steps from claiming the crown in the Australian Open again.
Novak Djokovic advances to the Australian Open quarterfinals with Jakub Mensik's withdrawal
The Serb's court time has been small so far, and he will get a few days' rest before the quality of his competition begins to tick up quite a bit. He will face either Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti. The good part is that Fritz has never beaten Djokovic in 11 tries, while Musetti has only taken one match from the Serb in 10 attempts.
Mensik had split his two meetings with Djokovic, including winning their most recent match at the Miami Masters last year. The 20-year-old has a powerful game that might have challenged the Serb in the heat of Melbourne. Now, Djokovic gets the extra rest he might need should he reach the semifinals and potentially face Jannik Sinner.
Daniil Medvedev, who was wiped off the face of the Australian Open by American Learner Tien, the same as the Russian was in 2025, even commented on Mensik's withdrawal and how interesting the Djokovic-Mensik match might have been.
Speaking to the media after losing to Tien 6-4 6-0 6-3, the Russian said, "Who was he supposed to play? Oh, Novak in fourth round. Yeah, unfortunate, that would be a great match. He beat him in Miami...Only thing, I saw him in the locker room, I had no idea."
Is Medvedev implying there is a conspiracy theory afoot and that fellow players are helping push Novak Djokovic forward at the Aussie Open? Probably not, but Mensik and Djokovic do have a friendship. Either way, it would be grand to see the Serb get his 25th major title.