“To all my fans in Adelaide, unfortunately I am not quite physically ready to compete in the Adelaide International next week,” Djokovic posted on social media. “It’s personally very disappointing for me because I have such fond memories of winning the title there two years ago. I was very excited about the return because it really felt like playing at home.”
Djokovic, a 38-year-old with a men’s record of 24 major singles championships, has not played an official match in almost two full months. He defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Greek Championship in Athens on November 8 and subsequently announced that he would withdraw from the ATP Finals for the second year in a row due to a shoulder injury.
“My focus now is on my preparation for the Australian Open,” Djokovic wrote on Monday, “and I look forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and seeing all the tennis fans in Australia.”
The main tournament at Melbourne Park starts on January 18.
Djokovic has won the hard-court major that opens the Grand Slam season a total of ten times, including most recently in 2023.
He has bowed out of the semifinals in each of the past two years, retiring after one set against Alexander Zverev in that round in 2025 due to a torn hamstring muscle.
Djokovic reached the semi-finals at all four Majors last season.
He starts this season in fourth place, behind only Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Zverev.
The withdrawal from Adelaide comes a day after Djokovic announced he would cut ties with the Professional Tennis Players Association, a group he co-founded that sued the sport’s governing bodies last year in a bid to gain more money and influence for the sport’s athletes.
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