Novak Djokovic vs Aleksandar Vukic - Indian Wells Tennis Prediction and Pick 3/9/24
Novak Djokovic vs Aleksandar Vukic
March 9, 2024
Novak Djokovic -5000 / Aleksandar Vukic +2000 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: USA: Tennis Channel Plus, UK: Sky Tennis, Global: Tennis TV
Top seed Novak Djokovic will face Australian World No. 69 Aleksandar Vukic in the second round of the 2024 Indian Wells Masters. The match will be played on Saturday, March 9, 2024. Here's our Novak Djokovic vs Aleksandar Vukic prediction.
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic is a five-time champion at Indian Wells, which is a joint record at this tournament. He could have easily added to that number, but he hasn't had a chance to play in the desert since 2019, mainly because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19 and was not allowed to cross into the United States territory. However, there are no restrictions in place to hold Djokovic back this year, and he will attempt to take the record by himself. He has a good draw to start with in what will be his first official match since losing to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open a little over a month ago.
Aleksandar Vukic
Vukic has already got one match under his belt, winning a first-round bout against Shintaro Mochizuki in two tie-break sets. The Australian is currently short of his previous best ranking of No. 48 but remains an incredibly versatile player who loves hard courts. He won 35 matches on the surface across all competitions last year, which proved critical in his rise in the rankings. But things have gone awry at the turn of the year, losing six of his eight matches ahead of his clash against the World No. 1.
Novak Djokovic vs Aleksandar Vukic Head-To-Head
Djokovic and Vukic have never played each other at any level, so this will be their first career meeting.
Novak Djokovic vs Aleksandar Vukic Prediction
Djokovic is the overwhelming favorite at -5000. Truthfully, that is even generous from the bookies, considering Vukic's poor form to start 2024. But a win over Mochizuki was desperately needed to overcome his dismal run. With that said, this should be a relatively straightforward opener for the Serb, who looks fitter than ever as he nears the age of 37. Back Djokovic to close this one in straight sets.