Wimbledon 2024 Draw: Novak Djokovic's path to the final ft. potential QF showdown with Hubert Hurkacz, SF with Alexander Zverev
Like other tennis stars, Novak Djokovic learned of his fate after the draw for the 2024 Wimbledon was made public on Friday, June 28. His record at Wimbledon speaks for itself but he finds himself in the middle of a rather underwhelming season due to various reasons.
While he has had good results for most of the season, he recently suffered an injury which brought a premature end to his French Open campaign. He seems to have made a quick recovery but until he's up and running on the court next week, one can't say for sure.
The Serb hasn't won a title this year, so his quest for a historic 25th Major crown won't be that easy. But he has never backed down from a challenge, and breaking records is almost second nature to him now.
Another triumph at Wimbledon would also help Djokovic equal Roger Federer's record of eight titles at the venue. On that note, here's a look at the players he will have to go through to win the title:
Djokovic's R1 opponent - Vit Kopriva
Kopriva got the better of veteran Richard Gasquet in the final qualifying round to book his place in the main draw of a Major for the second time. While he does have a top-10 win under his belt, he's unlikely to pose a serious threat to Djokovic on grass.
Possible R2 opponent - Jacob Fearnley/Alejandro Moro Canas
Djokovic has an easy second-round contest as well, with both of his possible opponents being ranked outside the top 150. Fearnley received a wildcard to make his Grand Slam debut, while Moro Canas qualified to do the same. A player of the Serb's caliber will be a lot to handle for either of them.
Possible R3 opponent - Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Should the seeds hold up, then Djokovic could encounter Etcheverry in the third round. However, the latter hasn't been past the second round here yet. The Serb could also bump into Luca Nardi, who ousted him from the Indian Wells Masters earlier this year.
However, Nardi hasn't made an impact during this grass swing. Alexei Popyrin is another possible candidate, though he only has a lone main draw win at Wimbledon to his credit. This should be another winnable round for the 24-time Major champion.
Possible R4 opponent - Holger Rune/Karen Khachanov
Things start to get a little tricky for Djokovic from this round. While Rune is in the middle of a rough patch at the moment, that could end at any point. He made the quarterfinals at the All England Club last year, so he's no slouch on grass.
Khachanov is a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist as well but his lopsided head-to-head against Djokovic makes him an underdog if they cross paths here. The latter leads the former 9-1 in their rivalry, so even though the Serb could be challenged in this round, he will be expected to emerge victorious in the end.
Possible QF opponent - Hubert Hurkacz/Alex de Minaur
De Minaur won the Libema Open to kick off his grass swing, and already beat Djokovic once earlier this year. The Australian is in the midst of a career-best season, so another match between them could be a close one.
Hurkacz made the final of his only grass court tournament in Halle in the lead-up to Wimbledon. He's a former semifinalist at the venue, and even though he has lost all seven of his previous encounters against the Serb, he remains a threat on grass.
Possible SF opponent - Alexander Zverev/Taylor Fritz
Wimbledon remains the only Major where Zverev hasn't been past the fourth round. However, that could change this year given his form. He finished as the runner-up at the French Open last month, going down to Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set slugfest.
Zverev is a player who has challenged Djokovic in the past, though the rivalry leans 8-4 in the latter's favor. Fritz is a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist and a solid player on grass but trails the Serb 0-9 in the head-to-head. The former Wimbledon champion will certainly prefer to go up against the American.
Should either of them falter early on, then Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, and Lorenzo Musetti are some of the other players who could potentially reach this stage. However, out of those three, only the Greek has been beyond the quarterfinals of a Major.
Possible opponent in the final - Jannik Sinner/Carlos Alcaraz
Djokovic won't have to deal with his biggest threats to the title until the final. Alcaraz could've landed in his half of the draw but that didn't end up happening. The Spaniard ended his four-year reign at Wimbledon in a five-set thriller last year, and recently won the French Open to claim his third Major title.
Sinner has been the tour's most in-form player this year. He recently ascended to the top of the rankings, and won his fourth title of the season in Halle. He made the semifinals of Wimbledon last year, losing to Djokovic in straight sets.
Either of these two could stop the Serb from claiming his 25th Major title. If both of them fail to make it this far, 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini could make another run to the championship round. Last year's semifinalist Daniil Medvedev is another player to watch out for.
Casper Ruud has made three Major finals but his record on grass makes it a long shot for him to do the same here. Djokovic will be rather pleased with his draw this time, and he is the favorite the reach the final at the very least.