An abdominal injury forced young Czech star Jakub Mensik to withdraw from the 2026 Australian Open, which sent his fourth-round opponent Novak Djokovic straight into the quarter-finals.
The much-anticipated round of 16 clash would be a repeat of the 2025 Miami Masters final, won by Mensik — his first Masters 1000 series title.
“It’s difficult to write this,” the Czech began by saying in a post on Instagram. «After doing everything possible to continue, I have to withdraw from the Australian Open due to an abdominal muscle injury that worsened in the last few games. After a long conversation with my team and the doctors, we decided not to take the field,” he added.
Mensik reached the second week of the Australian Open for the first time after a physically demanding course that began with one victory in five sets about Pablo Carreño Busta. In the third round, he was also put to a serious test, playing two tie-breaks against the American Ethan Quinn and closing the game after two and a half hours on Saturday night.
«Although I’m disappointed, reaching the fourth round here for the first time is something I’ll carry with me for a long time», added the tennis player who climbed to 16th place in the ATP Live rankings.
“I felt a huge energy from the fans, and the atmosphere in Melbourne was really special. Thank you to my team for being with me every step of the way, and to everyone who messaged and supported me – it means more than you know. Now it’s time to fully recover», he concluded.
The withdrawal leaves Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the 16th time — a tournament he has won 10 times, a record in men’s tennis. The 38-year-old Serbian will face the winner of the match between Lorenzo Musetti and Taylor Fritz, top-10 tennis players.
Djokovic is yet to drop a set in Melbourne in 2026 and recorded his 102nd victory at the tournament — equaling Roger Federer for the most wins among men — thanks to his triumph over Botic van de Zandschulp.
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