No. 16 seed Jakub Mensik has withdrawn from his scheduled fourth-round match against Novak Djokovic at the 2026 Australian Open due to an abdominal injury, joining Naomi Osaka on the list of players affected by similar issues this year.
“This is a tough one to write,” Mensik said in a statement posted on social media. “After long discussions with my team and doctors, we decided not to step on court tomorrow. Even though I am disappointed, reaching the fourth round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time. The energy from the fans and the atmosphere in Melbourne was truly special. Thank you to my team and everyone who sent messages and cheered. Now it is time to recover properly.”
The 20-year-old Czech player was making his first appearance in the second week of the Australian Open and was set to face Djokovic for the first time since defeating the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Miami Open last spring.
“I am very sad not to step on the court and compete against my idol and the G.O.A.T,” Mensik added. “I will do my best to come back and return stronger.”
Djokovic receives a walkover into his 16th career quarterfinal in Melbourne, the first dating back to 2008 when he claimed his first title. He will face the winner of the fourth-round match between No. 5 seed Lorenzo Musetti and No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz.
