Novak Djokovic will return to South Australia in January as the headline act for the Adelaide International 2026, with organisers confirming a deep field across both the men’s and women’s draws. It will mark the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s third appearance at the tournament, as he continues to shape his Australian summer around Adelaide ahead of the Australian Open.
Djokovic arrives as the current world No.4, carrying a record that includes 10 Australian Open titles and more weeks at world No.1 than any player in men’s tennis history. His presence places Adelaide once again firmly on the global tennis map, though he will not be short of competition.
The men’s entry list features world No.10 Jack Draper alongside Stefanos Tsitsipas, Tommy Paul, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Jiri Lehecka, Francisco Cerundolo, rising Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca and Australia’s own Alexei Popyrin. The mix reflects a blend of established names and emerging talent, a balance tournament officials say has become a defining feature of the event.
The women’s draw is similarly competitive, with four players from the world’s top 10 confirmed. Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva and Ekaterina Alexandrova will be joined by Belinda Bencic, Clara Tauson, Emma Navarro and Paula Badosa, reinforcing Adelaide’s position as a key warm-up stop on the WTA calendar.
A notable addition in 2026 is the introduction of the ITF 500 Australian Wheelchair International Adelaide Quad tournament, running from 15 to 17 January. Eight singles players and four doubles teams will compete, including four-time Australian Open quad doubles champion and two-time Paralympic medallist Heath Davidson. The expansion brings greater visibility to wheelchair tennis within the broader event and reflects ongoing efforts to grow the sport locally and nationally.
More than 20,000 fans have already secured tickets for the tournament, which runs from 12 to 17 January at The Drive. Tickets start from $10, with free entry for children at selected sessions, a pricing structure designed to keep the event accessible as crowds continue to grow.
The tournament arrives against the backdrop of strong performance from South Australia’s major events calendar. Recent accommodation data shows November was the strongest on record for hotel room nights and revenue across metropolitan Adelaide, driven by large sporting and entertainment events. Forward bookings for mid-December are tracking well ahead of last year, a trend tourism authorities expect to continue into the summer period.
Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the early ticket sales reflect the appetite for international sport in Adelaide, noting that the event plays a role in promoting the city to a global audience through broadcast coverage. Tournament director Alicia Molik described the 2026 field as a reflection of the event’s growing standing with both the ATP and WTA tours, while Tennis Australia’s Stephen Farrow pointed to Adelaide’s appeal for players preparing for Melbourne.
For Davidson, the wheelchair event represents years of groundwork paying off. He said competing in Adelaide would be a personal highlight and welcomed the commitment to expanding opportunities within the sport.
The Adelaide International 2026 is supported by the South Australian Government through the South Australian Tourism Commission. Further details and tickets are available here.
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