what happened to novak djokovic

Novak Djokovic is absolutely fine right now and is still competing at the very top of men’s tennis, especially at the Australian Open in January 2026.

What happened to Novak Djokovic?

Quick timeline (late 2025 – Jan 2026)

• He withdrew from the 2026 Adelaide International, saying he was not quite physically ready to play and wanted to focus on preparing for the Australian Open.

• Instead of starting his season in Adelaide (where he’d won titles before), he shifted his focus straight to Melbourne.

• At the 2026 Australian Open, he reached the quarter-finals and then:
  • Played his 1,400th tour‑level match, becoming only the third man ever to hit that milestone.

* Advanced to the semi-finals after Lorenzo Musetti, who was leading by two sets, had to retire injured.

• He is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title at this Australian Open, extending his already historic resume.

So there hasn’t been some dramatic disappearance; the “what happened?” feeling mostly comes from:

• His Adelaide withdrawal (which sounded worrying at first glance).

• A bit of luck and drama at the Australian Open (opponents retiring, his patchy form in some matches).

His physical condition

• He said he was not physically ready for Adelaide, which is why he pulled out, but did not announce a major new injury.

• At the Australian Open he has mentioned feeling generally fine physically, with a blister on his foot being the main issue.

• In past Australian Opens he has played through or withdrawn because of muscle injuries (hamstring, abdominal), so fans are extra sensitive to any sign of physical trouble now.

In other words, he’s 38, managing his body carefully, skipping a smaller event to protect himself, but still good enough to be in yet another Australian Open semi-final.

Where things stand now

• Age: 38, still ranked near the very top (No. 4 at the start of 2026).

• Milestones: passed 1,400 matches played on tour, with one of the best winning percentages in history.

• Current tournament: into his 13th Australian Open semi-final, set for a blockbuster against defending champion Jannik Sinner.

So if you’re seeing people ask “what happened to Novak Djokovic,” the short version is: he skipped Adelaide with some physical readiness concerns, looked shaky at times in Melbourne, got a bit lucky with opponents’ injuries, but he’s very much still in the mix and chasing tennis history.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.