NEW DELHI: Serbian great Novak Djokovic on Tuesday withdrew from the Adelaide International, saying he was “not quite physically ready” as he continues his build-up to the Australian Open.The 38-year-old had planned to use the tournament, scheduled to begin on January 12, as a warm-up for the season’s first Grand Slam at Melbourne Park, where he is chasing a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and an elusive 25th major crown.
“To all my fans in Adelaide, unfortunately I’m not quite physically ready to compete in the Adelaide International next week,” Djokovic said on Instagram.“It’s personally very disappointing to me, as I have such great memories of winning the title there two years ago. I was really excited about returning as it truly felt like playing at home.“My focus is now on my preparation for the Australian Open and I look forward to arriving in Melbourne soon and seeing all the tennis fans in Australia.”The world No. 4 has not played a tour-level match since defeating Lorenzo Musetti in the Athens final in early November.Djokovic has had to play a secondary role on the men’s tour after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz emerged as the dominant forces. Although he reached the semifinals at all four Grand Slams in 2025, he was unable to progress further, with his most recent major title coming at the US Open in 2023.His withdrawal from Adelaide came a day after he announced he would cut ties with the Professional Tennis Players Association, an organisation he co-founded.Djokovic cited “concerns regarding transparency, governance, and the way my voice and image have been represented”.
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