Novak Djokovic has confirmed his plans ahead of the Australian Open next year.
Djokovic has won 10 Australian Open titles, which is more than any other tennis player in Open Era history.
There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the Serbian’s future, with some predicting Djokovic to retire at the Australian Open.
This is not something that has been announced by Djokovic, who has added a new coach to his team and has now also confirmed his first tournament of 2026.
Novak Djokovic will start the 2026 season in Adelaide
Djokovic has varied the warm-up tournaments he has played prior to the Australian Open in recent years, having competed at the United Cup in 2024 and the Brisbane International in 2025.
The 38-year-old has opted for another option in 2026, with Djokovic signing up to play the Adelaide International instead.
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This is a tournament where Djokovic has previously found success, having won the Adelaide International title in 2023.
If Djokovic is to make a deep run at the Adelaide International this year then he will not have much time to prepare for the Australian Open, which begins just one day after the final of the ATP 250 tournament.
Djokovic is not the only big name who has been announced for the 2026 Adelaide International, with Jack Draper, Joao Fonseca and two-time Grand Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas joining him.
While in the WTA tournament that will take place at the same time, the top seeds are Jessica Pegula, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, Mirra Andreeva and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
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It is unclear as to what the definitive reason for Djokovic playing in Adelaide is yet, but what happened the last time he competed at the tournament may have played a big part in it.
As previously mentioned, Djokovic won the Adelaide International the last time he played the tournament, and he went into the Australian Open with a lot of momentum.
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Djokovic used this momentum perfectly, dropping just one set en route to winning his 10th Australian Open title.
However, a key difference between these two years is that Djokovic had a week to recover after his victory at the Adelaide International in 2023, a luxury he will not be entitled to next year.
The Adelaide International will get underway on January 12 in 2026, as Djokovic bids for his 102nd career title.
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