Novak Djokovic Handed Nightmare Wimbledon Draw

Novak Djokovic’s bid to win a standalone 25^th Grand Slam at Wimbledon could hit the rocks after learning his path to the title. Djokovic is a seven-time champion at the All-England Club and is just one title short of the all-time record, which is held by his former rival, Roger Federer.

Djokovic has lost to the last two Wimbledon finals to Carlos Alcaraz, but views the grass-court Grand Slam as his likeliest venue to win his next Major title. The Serbian star did not play in any warm-up tournaments, something he’s done many times in the past, and only spent a few days in practice at Wimbledon.

Recently, the draw for the tournament was released, and Djokovic, who is one of the main contenders, will be the #6 seed. He has been handed a horror draw in his quest to win a record-tying eighth Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic Handed Nightmare Wimbledon Draw

First round: Alexandre Muller

The beauty of Grand Slam tennis is that top players know who they will face right off the bat. In this case, Djokovic will play Alexandre Muller in the opening round. Djokovic defeated the Frenchman in their only career meeting at the 2023 US Open in straight sets.

Second round: Dan Evans

If Djokovic beats Muller as expected, he could face Dan Evans in the second round. The former British No. 1 opens up against fellow wild card Jay Clarke. Surprisingly, Evans leads the head-to-head 1-0. He stunned Djokovic on the clay courts of Monte Carlo. However, that was four years ago. Djokovic, although not in his prime, should be expected to even the head-to-head on Centre Court.

Third round: Alex Michelsen/Christopher Eubanks

The road to reach the second week is likely to have an American in the way. Djokovic might draw one of Alex Michelsen or Christopher Eubanks, both naturally big hitters. And in the case of Eubanks, he previously made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and could turn this into a potentially tricky matchup for the former World No.1. But do not be surprised if neither of those two men fail to make it that far, with Djokovic’s countryman Miomir Kecmanovic potentially tearing down that script.

Fourth round: Alex de Minaur/Tomas Machac

From the Round of 16, Djokovic’s draw looks extremely interesting. He could face one of Alex de Minaur or fast-rising Czech Tomas Machac. They are the two highest seeds in their section. While Machac’s fitness continues to be a real struggle, de Minaur might give Djokovic some work. Tournament officials will hope the matchup will happen, especially after last year’s disappointment when de Minuar withdrew before the quarterfinal meeting against the Serb.

Quarterfinal: Jack Draper

The projected quarterfinal in this section will see Djokovic face British No. 1 Jack Draper. Their lone meeting was in this tournament four years ago. Djokovic opened play on Centre Court as defending champion and overwhelmed an inexperienced Draper in four sets. Their sequel is unlikely to be as straightforward, with Draper moving above Djokovic in the top five this season and having notched a series of impressive wins.

Semifinal: Jannik Sinner

Should Djokovic escape with a win, the level of competition continues to heat up in the semis. Djokovic will most likely face World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a rematch of their French Open semifinal. On the slow clay at Roland Garros earlier this month, Sinner was electric in seeing off the 24-time Grand Slam champion in straight sets.

Final: Carlos Alcaraz

If Djokovic is to get his hands on yet another Wimbledon title, he might need to take down three Top 5 players to do it. That was precisely the case at the French Open, where he beat Alexander Zverev in the last eight but fell in the semis. Wimbledon offers him a glimmer of hope. Very few players are able to match his style on the grass, which calls for surface expertise and experience. And the benchmark right now on this surface is Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard is a two-time defending champion, beating Djokovic in each of those finals.