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Novak Djokovic vs Alexei Popyrin: Wimbledon – Third round
The seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will take on Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the tournament.
Novak Djokovic Profile
Novak Djokovic dropped from first place in the rankings after the French Open, and now he is second. The Serbians are 20-6 for the season and 2-0 on grass.
He is coming off a 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 win over Jacob Fearnley after winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 against Vit Kopriva in the opening round of the tournament.
Djokovic has yet to win a title this season. His best result was the semifinal at the Australian Open, where he lost to Jannik Sinner, and he reached the same stage in Monte Carlo and Geneva.
Djokovic has won seven titles, including Wimbledon. Last year, he lost in the final to Carlos Alcaraz after winning the previous four editions.
Alexei Popyrin Profile
Alexei Popyrin is currently 48th in the rankings, and his career high was No. 37. The Australian is 15-12 for the season and 6-3 on grass.
Popyrin is coming off a 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round. In the first, he defeated Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4.
Popyrin’s best result this season was the semifinal in Doha, where he lost to Karen Khachanov.
This is the first time in his career that he has reached the third round at Wimbledon.
Head-to-Head Djokovic leads 2-0
- Djokovic vs Popyrin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 (2024 Australian Open, second round)
- Djokovic vs Popyrin 6-4, 6-2 (2019 ATP Japan Open, first round)
Prediction and Conclusion
Novak Djokovic surprised many by making an appearance at Wimbledon only 25 days after knee surgery. The Serbian has shown many times why he is considered the greatest player of all time, but it is obvious that he is not on top of his game. He was pretty lucky in the draw, and Popyrin is the most serious player he will face this week. They played at the Australian Open this season, with Popyrin winning one set. He has a solid serve, which will win many games for him. Djokovic is the favorite, and his knee is the biggest opponent for him. However, Popyrin is good and experienced enough to have a shot in this match, and it will go over 36.5 games in total.
