Head-to-head history
There’s no shortage of history between Djokovic and Zverev. They’ve met a total of 12 times throughout the years, with Nole holding the 8-4 edge. While they went toe to toe five times in the 2021 season, Djokovic and Zverev haven’t faced off since 2023. In that match, the Serb beat Zverev in straight sets of the semifinals in Cincinnati.
Tall task ahead for Zverev
Zverev has enjoyed a resurgence over the last couple of seasons after numerous injuries and some off-court issues. While he’s still yet to win a Grand Slam title, the 27-year-old made the French Open final and Aussie Open semis in 2024. He also made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time in three years.
The big German has never been ranked higher than No. 2 in the world and he’s earned it. He won his first three matches at this year’s tournament in Melbourne in straight sets before Ugo Humbert and Paul took Zverev to four sets in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals. In ‘24, he won a pair of titles, capturing the trophy in Paris in October where he also beat Humbert in the final. Zverev had a title in Rome as well.
Zverev was a fixture in quarterfinals and semifinals for most of last season. Despite that, he is in for a very tough task here. While Djokovic isn’t the same player he once was, he’s still the GOAT and just eliminated Alcaraz, arguably the most electric player on the Tour. The German needs to bring his best. After all, Nole did play nearly four hours of tennis, so he may be slightly fatigued. Zverev is an underdog at tennis betting sites.
Nole looking for 10th Aussie Open title
It’s crystal clear who the king of Melbourne is – Djokovic. The legend has won a record 10 times Down Under and will be looking for his 11th title. Nole is just two wins away from more history. Although he is dealing with a minor leg injury that bothered him in the Alcaraz match, Djokovic famously won the 2023 event playing through injury, too.
Djokovic dropped the first set to Alcaraz on Tuesday but he roared back, winning the next three. It was an entertaining, high-octane match that definitely wore Nole down. When you’re playing someone as athletic as Alcaraz, it’s never going to be an easy one. Djokovic won 83 of his service points compared to 73 for the Spaniard and capitalized on a few costly mistakes from the 21-year-old.
‘24 wasn’t the best campaign to Nole’s standards, winning just one title. It was a meaningful one and a career first as he captured gold at the Paris Olympics, but Djokovic disappointed in the Majors. This event is hopefully the start of a bounce-back season for the icon, who could hang them up soon. He heads into Tuesday’s match as a -155 moneyline favorite at Sports Interaction.
