Francesco Mastrelli on Novak Djokovic matchup: ‘One of the most exciting things in my life’ | ATP Tour

Player features

Mastrelli is ecstatic about Djokovic showdown: ‘This is one of the most exciting things in my life’

Italian details his Australian Open success and the changes that helped his game

January 21, 2026

The look on Francesco Mastrelli’s face at Melbourne Park on Monday said as much. The Italian had just beaten Terrence Altman in the first round of the Australian Open and was understandably struggling to hold back tears.

“Very, very excited. I dream a lot about these games and for me it’s a dream to play in the first game [major main draw] “This is part of my career,” Maestrelli told ATPTour.com. “I didn’t expect to win five sets on my tour debut and I’m very excited and happy.”

This is not only Mastrelli’s first major main draw match, but also his second tour-level match. The Pisa native’s only previous ATP Tour match was in Florence in October 2022. Now, the 23-year-old will step directly into the spotlight.

Mastrelli will next face ten-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. The Italian said he had watched the Serb “a million times”.

“They told me that the chance to play Djokovic would be one of the most exciting things in my life,” Mastrelli said. “It’s crazy to have the opportunity to see his name close to mine in an official game, so we’ll see. I’m going to do my best to win. I know it’s complicated, but that’s all.”

The four-time ATP Challenger Champion has never trained with Djokovic or had a formal conversation with him. Maestrelli said “Ciao!” He has faced off against the Serbian several times over the years, but he must be ready to face the 24-time Grand Slam champion in Thursday’s first meeting at the Lexus ATP.

“This is one of those players who doesn’t [many] Weaknesses,” Maestrelli said. “It’s going to be very difficult to prepare for the game and I think we’re going to try to put everything I have on the field and it’s going to be tough. “

Maestrelli showed the world his talent at a very young age, breaking into the top 200 of the PIF ATP rankings in September 2022 at the age of 19. But it took him more than three years to break into the top 150.

“It’s not easy because when you’re young and you have big results, it gets easier. You don’t know much about the Tour and then you go out and compete,” Mastrelli said. “But you also have to know that there are bad moments too, when the results don’t come. You have to fight, you have to stay [through] Very difficult and work hard to improve. “

Maestrelli has been training at the local center of the Italian Football Federation since he was 16 years old. But two years ago, Maestrelli made the two-hour drive from Pisa to Sinalunga, where he trained under the tutelage of Giovanni Galupo and Gabrio Castricella.

“It’s so exciting because it’s a new experience for me and it’s great to share this moment with them,” Mastrelli said. “I was very afraid of change, but I thought it was the right time to do it. Then I tried to do it [not] Think about it, maybe, [now that it is] Two years later, I can say it was the right decision. “

In addition to tennis, Maestrelli enjoys playing basketball. His favorite player is Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball because of his creativity on the court. Italians also enjoy watching their hometown team Pisa Sporting Club play.

“I’m a regular guy trying to be the best at what I love: tennis,” Mastrelli said. “I’m trying to put everything out there and I’m a tall guy. I’m going to try to serve as fast as I can because I know in rallies, maybe he’s better than me. But I don’t know, let’s see.”