Bet du Jour: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Novak Djokovic, Roland Garros

WATCH: Our interview with Novak Djokovic from Paris

In two rounds at Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic hasn’t dropped a set, but the 22-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t exactly been lights-out. He needed a tiebreaker to beat Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round, and the American had no business pushing Djokovic that far. Marton Fucsovics also gave Djokovic some problems before running out of steam. The Serbian hasn’t quite looked like himself, and that’s why I like Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to be the first player to take a set off the two-time Roland Garros champ.

You can get the Spaniard at -125 odds to win a single set against Djokovic. Davidovich Fokina has looked awesome since arriving in Paris, earning a four-set win over talented Frenchman Arthur Fils and following it up with a straight-set win over Luca van Assche. The 23-year-old is now 7-3 in his last 10 clay-court matches, which dates back to the start of the Barcelona Open.

Davidovich Fokina has also had some success against Djokovic in the past. Djokovic was 2-0 in their head-to-head history heading into a big matchup in Monte Carlo last year—it was just his fourth match of the season, due to vaccination issues—but Davidovich Fokina ended up pulling out a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1 win. The Spaniard then went all the way to the finals of that event, losing a close match to Stefanos Tsitsipas. He will surely try and bring some of that same energy into this meeting with Djokovic.

The big thing to keep an eye on here is Djokovic’s serve. The Serbian has looked a bit shaky with the ball on his racquet in key moments early in this tournament. It just seems like he is lacking in confidence a bit, and that isn’t surprising considering he really hasn’t played a lot of tennis in 2023. Djokovic is also going through something physically right now, although nobody will come out and address the extent of it. But Djokovic has worn elbow sleeves on and off throughout the 2023 season, and he has dealt with a decrease in velocity on his serve and forehand. And if he’s not operating at a high level in this one, Davidovich Fokina will make him uncomfortable.

Davidovich Fokina’s combination of energy and aggressiveness could get to Djokovic a bit. The Spaniard is going to look to rip shots whenever he can, and he’s going to play to the crowd—which is seemingly always willing to find a reason to root against Djokovic. Overall, the atmosphere for this one could turn into something special, and I don’t see Davidovich Fokina going down without a fight. He just needs to make sure he stays locked in with the ball on his racquet. Djokovic is the best returner on the planet, so losing focus and going down on his serve would be a dangerous game for Davidovich Fokina.

Bet: Davidovich Fokina To Win A Set (-125)