Tokyo Olympics 2020: Novak Djokovic's projected path to the final
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will kick off his quest for his maiden Olympic gold medal against Bolivia's Hugo Dellien.
The Serb is in red-hot form, having won each of the three Grand Slams played this year. With a win-loss record of 34-3, he's definitely the man to beat at the Tokyo Olympics.
On that note, let's take a look at Djokovic's potential opponents at the Tokyo Games this year.
Novak Djokovic's 1st round opponent - Hugo Dellien
Djokovic will begin his campaign with a relatively straightforward clash against Bolivia's Hugo Dellien, who's ranked 139 in the world. Dellien has registered just one win on the ATP Tour this year, against Adrian Mannarino at the Rome Masters.
He has mostly plied his trade at the Challenger level and should not pose any threat to Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic's likely 2nd round opponent - Jan-Lennard Struff
Djokovic could face a tricky opponent in the shape of Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round. Struff, however, will first need to get past Thiago Monteiro.
While Struff has been quite inconsistent this year, he does have a couple of big wins under his belt, most notably against Andrey Rublev in the first round at Roland Garros. He also defeated Daniil Medvedev in the first round at Halle.
Struff took a set against Djokovic at the Australian Open last year but has not beaten the Serb in five previous meetings.
Novak Djokovic's likely 3rd round opponent - Lorenzo Musetti / Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Djokovic could take on Italian sensation Lorenzo Musetti in the third round. The big-hitting youngster took a two-set lead against Djokovic at the French Open earlier this year but imploded in the final three sets.
Given that tennis matches at the Olympics are best-of-three-sets affairs, Djokovic could find himself in a spot of bother against the Italian if he starts slowly again.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, on the other hand, will pose much less of a threat to the Serb. While the Spanish youngster has had a decent season, he doesn't really have the weapons to trouble Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic's likely quarterfinal opponent - Andrey Rublev
If Djokovic advances to the quarterfinals, he could meet in-form Russian Andrey Rublev. Rublev has made giant strides in the past couple of seasons and has the firepower to trouble Djokovic.
The World No. 1 will have to be at the top of his game to deal with the Russian, who he has never faced on tour before.
Novak Djokovic's likely semifinal opponent - Alexander Zverev
While Alexander Zverev may look like a big threat on paper, Novak Djokovic shouldn't be too concerned at the prospect of facing the German. The Serb has defeated Zverev in each of their last five meetings. Zverev's last win against Djokovic came way back in the final of the World Tour Finals in 2018.
Given the form that he is in, Djokovic should be able to stave off the challenge from the German and advance to the final.
Novak Djokovic's likely opponent in the final - Daniil Medvedev / Stefanos Tsitsipas
If Djokovic successfully navigates the top half of the draw, he could set up a meeting with either Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
Djokovic faced Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open this year and cruised to a straight-sets victory. However, the Russian has had the upper hand in their rivalry recently, winning three of their last five encounters.
Tsitsipas, on the other hand, almost defeated Djokovic in the final at Roland Garros, losing a tough five-setter despite taking a two set lead. His last win against the Serb was in 2019.
Both Tsitsipas and Medvedev have the ability to take down Djokovic, but considering the form the Serb is in, it would take a brave man to bet against him clinching gold this year.
Check Out: Tokyo Olympics 2021 Schedule