hero-image

French Open 2022: Novak Djokovic vs Yoshihito Nishioka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic (L) and Yoshihito Nishioka.
Novak Djokovic (L) and Yoshihito Nishioka.

Match Details

Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs Yoshihito Nishioka

Tournament: French Open 2022

Round: First round (Round of 128)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor clay

Prize money: €21,256,800

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports, Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK- Eurosport | India - Sony Ten


Novak Djokovic vs Yoshihito Nishioka preview

Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Italian Open.
Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Italian Open.

Top seed Novak Djokovic will kick off his French Open title defense against World No. 94 Yoshihito Nishioka.

Djokovic's clay season began on a sour note. He lost a three-set contest against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the Monte-Carlo Masters as he struggled with his form and fitness. He fared much better at the Serbia Open, fighting his way to the final. But the title eluded him as he lost to Andrey Rublev in three sets.

Djokovic appeared to hit his stride at the Madrid Open, where he reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in a titanic three-set tussle. The Serb claimed his maiden title of the season at the Italian Open by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

Djokovic has found his best form ahead of the French Open, where he will look to bag a 21st Grand Slam crown and become the first man to complete a triple career Slam.

Not too bad πŸ€ŒπŸΌπŸ˜πŸ† Nothing but grateful for this amazing week and everyone’s support. I have felt immense love being in Roma @InteBNLdItalia ❀️ Grazie a tutti per il supporto! Idemooo 🫢🏼πŸ’ͺπŸΌπŸ™ŒπŸΌπŸ‘πŸΌ https://t.co/MP3kqXXR32
Yoshihito Nishioka at the 2022 Italian Open.
Yoshihito Nishioka at the 2022 Italian Open.

Yoshihito Nishioka, meanwhile, kicked off his clay season at the BMW Open in Munich. He defeated Maximilian Marterer and Yannick Hanfmann to qualify for the main draw. He lost to Emil Ruusuvuori in the first round in two tight sets.

Nishioka then suffered a string of losses in the lead-up to the French Open. He didn't advance to the main draw in Madrid, Rome and Lyon as he failed to win a single match in the qualifiers.

He has never been beyond the second round at Roland Garros.


Novak Djokovic vs Yoshihito Nishioka head-to-head

Djokovic leads Nishioka 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2020 Australian Open in straight sets.


Novak Djokovic vs Yoshihito Nishioka odds

PlayerMoneylineHandicap Bets
Total Sets
Novak Djokovic
-10000+1.5 (-10000)
3 sets (-450) | 4 sets (+375)
Yoshihito Nishioka
+1600-1.5 (+2000)
5 sets (+1200)

All odds are sourced from BetMGM.


Novak Djokovic vs Yoshihito Nishioka prediction

Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open.
Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open.

This is likely to be a very one-sided contest. Nishioka has struggled mightily in recent weeks, while Djokovic has gotten better with every match he's played. The Serb will use this match to get used to the conditions in Paris and find some rhythm ahead of sterner challenges in the future.

The world No.1 is back to defend his crown @DjokerNole πŸ‘‘

#RolandGarros https://t.co/gZXZaIkpGr

Djokovic has no real weaknesses in his game. His fitness was a cause for concern early on in the clay season, but he seems to have remedied that during his time in Madrid and Rome. His serve is firing on all cylinders and his movement is as sharp as ever.

Nishioka, on his part, enjoys grinding it out from the back of the court. But getting into lengthy baseline duels against the World No. 1 will be a recipe for disaster. The Japanese has just two wins over top-10 opponents in his career and it's highly unlikely that Djokovic will be his third scalp.

Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.

You may also like