Mensik withdrawal means Djokovic advanced to his 16th quarterfinal at the Australian Open, a tournament he has gone on to win a men\u2019s record 10 times.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Their highly anticipated fourth-round clash was a rematch of their 2025 Miami Open final, which Mensik won to hoist his first Masters 1000 trophy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis is a tough one to write,\u201d Mensik wrote in a post to Instagram. \u201cAfter 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 a long discussion with my team and doctors, we decided not to step on court tomorrow.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEven though I\u2019m disappointed, making the fourth round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time,\u201d said Mensik, who rises to 16th in the ATP Live Rankings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI felt so much energy from the fans and the atmosphere in Melbourne was truly special. Thank you to my team for being with me every step, and to everyone sending messages and cheering \u2013 it means more than you know. Now it\u2019s time to recover properly,\" the post read.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cEven though I\u2019m disappointed, making the fourth round here for the first time is something I will carry with me for a long time,\u201d said Mensik, who rises to 16th in the ATP Live Rankings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 38-year-old Serb is yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park in 2026 and notched his 102nd match win at the tournament, equalling Roger Federer for the most among men after his victory over Botic van de Zandschulp.<\/p>\r\n\r\n