Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic will begin his French Open campaign against local wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Tuesday evening in Paris.
With the 24-time Grand Slam champion looking remarkably fragile this year, can he instil some confidence in fans with an emphatic victory? Read on for our Djokovic vs Herbert prediction and betting tips.
Few expected Djokovic’s year to unfold the way it has in 2024. The world No. 1 had one of his most dominant seasons ever last year, winning four of the five major events and dispelling any doubts about his age.
However, coming to Paris title-less and with a 14-6 win-loss so far this season, the 37-year-old is looking far from bullet-proof. A loss to the red-hot Jannik Sinner in Melbourne was explainable, but subsequent defeats to the likes of Luca Nardi, Alejandre Tabilo, and, most recently, Tomas Machac are cause for concern.
Is Djokovic vulnerable in his first-round match at the French Open? Herbert will certainly hope so, as he’ll need all the help he can get from the Serbian’s end.
The 33-year-old has previously been as high as No. 33 in the world. However, Herbert currently sits well outside the top 100, needing a wildcard to play in the French Open at No. 142. In fact, this will be his first main draw match of the year, with his time being spent on the Challenger Tour or in failed qualifying attempts.
How will this first-round match unfold? Read on for all our predictions.
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How the Bookies View It: Nothing But Djokovic
Understandably, Djokovic is an astronomical favourite coming into this match. The Serb pays a laughable 1/66 to win, while Herbert is at 20/1 to pull off an upset. Set betting says it ends quick, with a Djokovic 3-0 result paying just 4/11.
Recent Head-to-Head: It’s Been Awhile
Djokovic and Herbert have met once before on the ATP Tour. However, that was over a decade ago, at the ATP Masters 1000 Paris in 2013. Djokovic prevailed in that match, winning 7-6(3), 6-3.
Anything Else Catch the Eye?
Not only has Djokovic been suffering uncharacteristic losses this year, but he’s looked noticeably out of sync while doing so. The 37-year-old’s balance and timing has seemed out of kilter, and he’s had the shakes multiple times at changeovers.
Djokovic has spoken about how he’s most likely to retire due to a lack of motivation, rather than his body breaking down. This year, it’s seemed as though motivation is low–he’s not digging deep and putting in the same extra effort in some of his losses.
However, if there’s one thing that will get the three-time Roland-Garros champion fired up, it’s his ego. The man loves to prove people wrong. With most of the tennis world writing him off here in Paris, it would be no surprise to see a very ruthless, locked-in version of Djokovic on display the next fortnight.
Djokovic vs Herbert Betting Tips & Predictions
We anticipate no dramas for Djokovic here. The returns aren’t the most lucrative you’ll ever see, but betting on these markets will still produce a handy profit.
- Djokovic -8.5 handicap @ 4/6
- Total games under 28.5 @ 5/6
Djokovic and Herbert will face off in Tuesday’s night session, not before 8:15pm local time. While you wait, check out our outright predictions and seed analysis for the men’s French Open 2024.
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