Novak Djokovic into Australian Open 2026 quarter-finals as Jakub Mensik withdraws in shock injury news - 'I'm super sad'

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Novak Djokovic has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after his fourth-round opponent, Jakub Mensic, withdrew from the tournament ahead of their meeting on Monday. With much discussion around Djokovic wanting to play as little tennis as possible in the early rounds, Mensik's withdrawal will come as a boost to the Serbian, who is hunting his 25th Grand Slam title.

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Novak Djokovic has received a bye into the Australian Open quarter-finals after his fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik was forced to withdraw from the tournament through injury.

Djokovic and Mensik were due to meet on Rod Laver Arena as the headline match of Monday's evening session.

However, Mensik issued a statement on social media on Sunday, confirming the curtailment of his run in Melbourne through a left abdominal injury.

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"This is a tough one to write," Mensik posted in a statement on Instagram.

"After doing everything we could to keep going, I have to withdraw from the Australian Open due to an abdominal muscle injury that has progressed over the last matches.

"After long discussions with my team and doctors, we decided not to step on court tomorrow.

"Even though l'm disappointed, making the fourth round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time.

"I felt so much energy from the fans and the atmosphere in Melbourne was truly special.

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"Thank you to my team for being with me every step, and to everyone sending messages and cheering - it means more than you know. Now it's time to recover properly."

Djokovic is hunting a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at the age of 38, and with much of the discourse centring around how the Serbian would preserve his fitness, Monday's break comes as a timely boost ahead of the critical stages of the tournament.

The 10-time Melbourne champion spoke in his on-court interview after beating Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round about how he had been managing his energy levels through the early rounds.

Djokovic is learning from last year, when he was unable to reach a major final, largely owing to his physical shortcomings.

Djokovic reached the semi-finals in Melbourne 12 months ago, but was forced to retire during the match against Alexander Zverev due to the physical toll of his prior victory against Carlos Alcaraz.

The fourth-round clash with Mensik also represented a tangible upset threat for Djokovic, with the Czech having won their last meeting in straight sets in the Miami Open final last year.

Mensik said in a press conference on Sunday that he was "super sad" to not be able to compete against the "GOAT" of tennis on Melbourne's main show court - having previously spoken openly about his admiration for the 24-time major champion.

"The fact that my fourth-round match was to be against Novak on Rod Laver Arena makes it even more difficult," Mensik said.

"So, of course, I'm super sad not to step on the court and to compete against my idol and the GOAT.

"So, yeah, it's very tough. Like you said, I mean, reaching fourth round, second week of the Grand Slam for the first time, it's something that I will take with me, for sure.

"Of course, I will do my best to come back again and to come back stronger."

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Djokovic will face either No. 5 seed Lorenzo Musetti or No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, with the benefit of extra rest following the fourth-round walkover.

Hunting a record-extending 11 titles Down Under, Djokovic is on a potential collision course with Jannik Sinner en route to the final, and is on the other side of the draw to Alcaraz - who booked his quarter-final spot with a straight-sets victory against Tommy Paul on Sunday.

Djokovic has yet to drop a set in his run to the last eight, though he cut a frustrated figure at several points during his victory against Van de Zandschulp, in his sternest test of the tournament so far.

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