"We don't really care what's next"- Novak Djokovic's Australian Open 4R opponent Adrian Mannarino on not knowing he is facing the Serb

Novak Djokovic’s next opponent at the 2024 Australian Open would not know that he is facing the Serb until a few hours before their clash.

Djokovic is through to the fourth round of the Melbourne Major. Following a couple of hard-earned victories against Dino Prizmic 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 and Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, the World No. 1 cruised through his third-round match against Tomas Etcheverry 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (2), on Friday.

Novak Djokovic will now face fellow veteran Adrian Mannarino for a spot in the quarterfinal of the 2024 Australian Open on Sunday. The Frenchman edged out last year's quarterfinalist Ben Shelton 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 to book his spot in the fourth round.

Interestingly, while the Serb is aware of his next opponent, Adrian Mannarino would not know who awaits him on court until a few hours before the match. This is due to the fact that Mannarino likes the identity of his opponent to be a surprise until he takes the court.

During his on-court interview after beating Ben Shelton, the 35-year-old star confirmed that he was unaware of his next challenge and just wants to soak in the current victory.

“You know, right now, I just want to enjoy the moment. It’s amazing for me to be in the fourth round. So I don’t want to think about what’s next,” Adrian Mannarino said.

The 20th seed added that he was looking forward to enjoying his upcoming Australian Open match without fretting over it.

“I just want to enjoy this match and just have some good time with my team. And you know, we don’t really care about what’s next,” Adrian Mannarino added.

Mannarino, who defeated Stanislas Wawrinka and Jaume Munar in his first two matches, also revealed how he found out about his second-round opponent.

“It's always different. Yesterday my driver who drove me in the morning just wanted to be nice and say good luck against Mr. Munar. I don't need to know. People don't really know,” he hilariously revealed in his post-match presser.

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Novak Djokovic's next Australian Open opponent Adrian Mannarino on his recent surge in results: "I started tequila"

Novak Djokovic (right) has won all four of his meetings with Adrian Mannarino (left)

At 35, Adrian Mannarino is enjoying the best phase of his career. The Frenchman, who had just two ATP titles to his name till 2022, collected three more across 2023 – the Hall of Fame Open, the Astana Open and the Sofia Open. He is currently placed at a career-high ranking of World No. 19.

When asked about his purple patch, Mannarino hilariously credited his new tequila indulgence for helping him “clear his brain.”

“I started tequila. That helps to, you know, not think too much. You just keep going,” he joked on court. “Sometimes you need to clear your brain and stop thinking about the past and you just keep going. Don’t look back and just go.”

The Frenchman is in pursuit of his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2024 Australian Open. Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, is chasing history. The Serb is aiming for a record-extending 11th title at the tournament and at historic 25th Grand Slam overall.

The winner of the match between Novak Djokovic and Adrian Mannarino will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz for a spot in the 2024 Australian Open semifinal.