Novak Djokovic reaches historic milestone in Melbourne with win number 100
The blue hardcourts of Rod Laver Arena have long been described as Novak Djokovic’s living room, but on Monday night, he officially took out a permanent title deed.
As the final ball landed and the crowd erupted into a familiar roar, the scoreboard reflected more than just a first-round victory at the 2026 Australian Open. It signaled the arrival of a milestone that once seemed impossible. 100 match wins at the year’s opening Grand Slam.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was heavy with the weight of history. For over two decades, Djokovic has turned this corner of Melbourne into a personal fortress, and win number 100 felt like the coronation of a king who refuses to abdicate.
Yet, as he walked into the press room shortly after the match, the man himself was characteristically measured, trading the euphoria of the fans for the cold, clinical focus of a professional who knows the job is only one-seventh complete.
When asked if his body and mind were feeling as good as they possibly could for the grueling fortnight ahead, Djokovic didn’t reach for hyperbole. “It felt good tonight,” he said, before quickly pivoting to the uncertainty of elite sport.
“Let’s see how it’s going to feel in a few days’ time.”. It is this refusal to dwell on past glory that has fueled his longevity. To Djokovic, the 100 wins are a byproduct of a process that values tomorrow’s recovery as much as today’s victory.
Performance-wise, however, the signs were ominous for the rest of the draw. The Serb moved with the fluidity of a man ten years his junior, finding his spots with a serve that has become more refined and reliable with age.
“Performance-wise the feeling on the court was great so I couldn’t ask for more,” he told the gathered media. “Obviously great serving performance just overall felt felt really good on the court that has you know made me feel good on it for so many times throughout my career.”.
The significance of the “Century Club” cannot be overstated. By reaching 100 wins in Melbourne, Djokovic joins an elite bracket of legends. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Jimmy Connors, who have hit the century mark at a single Major.
But there is something unique about the Djokovic-Melbourne connection. It is here where he won his first Grand Slam in 2008, and it is here where his tactical mastery of the baseline has become the blueprint for the modern game.
Throughout the match, there were flashes of the entertainer hiding beneath the skin of the competitor. At one point, he launched into a mid-air “slap” shot that clocked in at a staggering 176 km/h, a move that left him smirking at his own audacity.
He later admitted the shot was a tribute to his peer Gaël Monfils, but even that moment of levity was grounded in his deep familiarity with the court. He simply knows where the lines are, even when his feet aren’t touching the ground.
As the press conference shifted toward the future, the conversation inevitably turned to the rising tide of youth. With Carlos Alcaraz and Alex de Minaur breathing down his neck and threatening to crowd the Rod Laver Arena schedule, Djokovic remained unfazed.
His veteran status allows him a certain level of psychological comfort that his younger rivals are still chasing. He isn’t just playing against an opponent; he is playing on a surface that has become an extension of his own identity.
“So let’s let’s see what what comes uh my way in a few days’ time,” he remarked with a steady gaze.
