World No 4 Djokovic was set to be the top seed at the ATP 250 event in Adelaide, with the star set to kickstart his 2026 season at an event he triumphed at back in 2023.
The tennis great battled past Sebastian Korda in a memorable final that Australian summer, though did not compete at the tournament in 2024 and 2025.
Djokovic headlined a strong field at the tournament, which gets underway next week, though he released a statement on his Instagram story on Monday night to confirm his absence from the tournament.
He wrote: “To all my fans in Adelaide. Unfortunately I’m not quite physically ready to compete in the Adelaide International next week.
“It’s personally very disappointing to me as I have such great memories of winning the title there [three] 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.”
Djokovic’s last competitive match was his victory over Lorenzo Musetti in the final of the Hellenic Championship in November, with the star then withdrawing from the ATP Finals the following week.
Traditionally, the Serbian has rarely played warm-up events in the build-up to the Australian Open, though the manner of his withdrawal will attract interest.
Djokovic’s statement that he is not “physically” ready to compete may spark some concern heading into the opening Grand Slam of the year, especially considering a string of injuries in recent seasons.
To manage his body, the 38-year-old contested just 13 tournaments in 2025, though still managed to finish fourth in the ATP Rankings — with only Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev ahead of him.
However, his body proved troublesome at times.
Djokovic was forced to retire injured in the Australian Open semi-final versus Zverev last January, and was also physically hampered during a straight-sets defeat to Sinner in the semi-final of Wimbledon.
The Serbian was also beaten in straight sets in the other two major semi-finals he competed in last year, against Sinner at Roland Garros and Alcaraz at the US Open.
Action at the Australian Open will begin on Sunday, January 18, with Djokovic set to be the fourth seed at the tournament he holds a record 10 titles.
