Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin
Date: Saturday, July 6
Tournament: Wimbledon 2024
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England, United Kingdom
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize Money: £50,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | India - Star Network | UK - BBC | Canada - TSN, RDS, & ESPN International
Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin preview
Second seed Novak Djokovic will take on Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships on Saturday, July 6, as he continues his quest for a record 8th crown at the All England Club.
Djokovic has had a subpar 2024 season by his lofty standards and surprisingly is yet to win a title. He's reached as far as the semifinals in Melbourne, Monte Carlo, and Geneva, but has failed to go big from there on like he usually does. He suffered a knee injury at the French Open which sidelined him from action for a month.
Djokovic returned to the thick of things with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Vit Kopriva in the opening round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. His second-round encounter against Jacob Fernley wasn't as comfortable. The hard-hitting Brit was brilliant from the back of the court and often outplayed the Serb with his blistering pace. Djokovic, however, played the decisive points better to eventually seal a 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win.
Popyrin, meanwhile, kicked off his grasscourt swing at the Surbiton Challenger playing doubles alongside Mark Lajal. In singles competition, he reached the second round at the Libema Open the following week but lost to second seed Tommy Paul. He plowed through the qualifiers at the Queen's Club but lost in the first round to home favorite Andy Murray in a tight three-set contest 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Popyrin opened his Wimbledon campaign with a 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-4 win over Thiago Monteiro. He was taken the distance in his second round encounter against 30th seed Tomas Martín Etcheverry, eventually coming out on top in a five-set epic 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to deliver an upset win.
Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin head-to-head
Novak Djokovic leads Alexei Popyrin 2-0 in their head-to-head. They last played at the Australian Open earlier this year with the Serb winning that contest in four sets 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin prediction
Djokovic was solid in his opener, but showed a few cracks in his game during his second-round match. While he was good on serve, his baseline play was marred by inconsistency. He was great while returning as usual, converting 4 out of 7 break point opportunities.
Popyrin has impressed at the Championships so far. He displayed incredible resolve in his second-round encounter to clinch the win down two sets to one. He was fierce on serve, hitting 17 aces, and equally good at the net, winning 73% of those points. He also hit a blistering 65 winners.
The Serb enters this contest as the favorite to go through despite the Aussie's form. The vast disparity in their results at the All England Club and in their experience on the biggest stage, in general, could prove to be decisive for Djokovic. Popyrin will have to replicate his heroics from their tussle in Melbourne, and more, if he is to trouble Djokovic.
Pick: Djokovic in four sets.