Wimbledon Finals: Novak Djokovic vs. Nick Kyrgios Preview, Odds, Prediction

There will be fire, there will be tension, but that is like when Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios meet. And this time, they are facing one another in the Wimbledon finals. With the stakes being the highest possible, we are sure that certain things will be multiplied compared to the previous clashes these two guys had. Novak is after his seventh title in London, while Kyrgios wants to win his first Grand Slam ever. From fierce enemies to, let’s say, decent relationships, that is the path these two crossed so far. What will happen next?

Preview

Novak Djokovic (-475) comes off a win against the home favorite, Cameron Norrie, in the semis. We saw one very odd start to the game, with Norrie winning the first set and breaking Djokovic’s serve three times. After that, the Serb woke up and began hitting the lines, which severely demoralized Norrie.

The Joker has certain trouble finding the rhythm in the opening stages of the contests, but he sure knows how to finish them and dispatch the rivals home. Against Sinner, we saw him composed and focused even though the Italian had a 0-2 lead.

We need to say that Novak had only 54% of points won on his second serve, which needs to be fixed. His return is working well overall, and his physical shape is pretty decent.

Nick Kyrgios (+330) will have not only to face Djokovic in this one, but himself as well. We know that the Aussie is often his biggest rival, and there are times when he simply falls apart on the court and starts doing his thing, which is usually very negative.

However, during Wimbledon, he was very composed and mentally solid, which is why the results came in the first place He was better than Tsitsipas, indicating that he might do something big here. The first serve is his biggest weapon, and if he continues to use it like until this point, his chances in the finals will be big.

The potential problem is his walkover in the semis, which can do a lot of damage. Remember Djokovic and his walkover in the 2011 Roland Garros quarterfinals once he didn’t suffer a loss before meeting Federer in the semis. This can be tricky because the player loses his rhythm.

Head to Head

Kyrgios is one of few players with a positive record against Novak, winning in both meetings. However, they were in 2017, in Acapulco and Indian Wells, with Novak failing to take a set.

Prediction

Mental power wins finals. And in this case, the advantage is on Novak’s side. He has more experience and knows how to cope with pressure, which is something Kyrgios isn’t capable of. Also, Novak’s return might calm Kyrgios’ serve, and once that happens, the Aussie usually breaks. Neither Djokovic met a server like this in the previous stages, nor did Kyrgios have a proper test for his serve. So, all in all, we believe that Novak should win here. Also, we are predicting at least four sets on Sunday afternoon. Novak isn’t dominant as before, but he is still better than the rest of the competition.

Pick: Novak Wins -475