Novak Djokovic vs Matthew Ebden Prediction & Picks - Olympic Tournament

Prediction published on 7/26/24, 10:32 AM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 7/26/24 at 10:38 AM in Olympic Tournament Picks

Novak Djokovic enters the 2024 Olympic Games this Saturday, July 27th, with a first-round match against Australia's Matthew Ebden.

7 weeks ago, Novak Djokovic played his Round of 16 match at the French Open against Francisco Cerundolo, aggravating his knee injury. The injury necessitated an operation and probably meant a bye to the 2024 Olympics, the only title missing from the Serb's rich career. The record-holder of Grand Slam victories (24) took on this new challenge against the clock, ready to compete at Wimbledon at the beginning of July and, above all, to keep his place this summer at this Olympic tournament. Already in excellent form in London, where he reached the final without being at 100%, Novak Djokovic has had a further two weeks to prepare himself and look after his knee and physique. Before he can dream of a potential second-round clash with Rafael Nadal, Djoko will have to get the job done against Matthew Ebden.

Formerly a member of the world's top 50 in 2018, the Australian has since opted for doubles tournaments, where he is among the best players on the planet. However, the reality for the Matthew Ebden is quite different. He has played just 12 matches since 2022 (none this season), with a negative record (4 wins in 12 matches) and no wins on clay in 7 years. Matthew Ebden, an attacking player, mainly aims to be competitive in doubles, and his first-round opposition against Novak Djokovic will be a warm-up for his more ambitious doubles tournament.