Alcaraz – Djokovic Odds, Alcaraz – Djokovic Preview
| Alcaraz Odds | -250 |
| Djokovic Odds | +195 |
| Over/Under | 22.5 (-106 / -122) |
| Date | Sunday, 8/4 |
| Time | 8 a.m. ET |
| How To Watch | NBC |
| Odds as of Saturday afternoon | |
We got the second-round match everyone wanted to see at the Olympics between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and now we get the final everyone was eager to watch — a rematch from the Wimbledon final between Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
This will be the eighth meeting between two of the games biggest stars and the stakes are as high as ever, with Djokovic desperate for gold. Let's get into this Carlos Alcaraz – Novak Djokovic Olympic tennis championship preview.
Alcaraz Cruising to More Hardware
As well as Alcaraz played en route to his French Open and Wimbledon victories, he's looked even more impressive in his second 2024 stint at Roland Garros.
He's yet to drop a set in men's singles and has handed four of his five opponents a 6-2 humbling or better in a set.
Yes, Djokovic is a different opponent, but I feel the need to (again) point out that he hasn't looked like himself for much of this season, especially since the meniscus tear that forced him to withdraw from the French Open.
His serve has looked better this week and his forehand did more damage than I'd seen it do in quite some time when he played Nadal, but he was afforded far more time on that wing than he'll see in this matchup. Also, it returned to looking a tad underpowered once he was through that contest.
Alcaraz's forehand? No issues so far. He's been using that shot as a weapon and should dominate most of the crosscourt exchanges from that side. His elite returning should also help him find ways to break down Djokovic's serve (the one thing that does, admittedly, look better now than at Wimbledon). This is the best matchup in tennis when Djokovic is healthy and firing on all cylinders. These days? I fear it's fairly one-sided.
Djokovic Still Battling
Much like Wimbledon, the sport's most decorated athlete has done well to navigate his way through the draw and reach a stage he's never managed at the Olympics.
Obviously, the one accolade he's missing is the gold medal at the Olympics. I just don't think he's going to be able to add it to his collection Sunday. Once more, much like the Wimbledon final, Djokovic simply hasn't looked his best this week.
The early rounds saw him cruise, but Matt Ebden, the current iteration of Nadal and Dominik Koepfer aren't exactly tough competition. The quarterfinal saw Djokovic trail badly in the second set thanks to his knee issue flaring up. A complete and utter capitulation from Stefanos Tsitsipas allowed Djokovic to advance in straight sets.
Even his semi, which looked good on the scoreboard, saw him stuck in a feisty encounter with Lorenzo Musetti until he broke down the one-handed backhand. The level simply isn't where it was last year.
It was pretty clear that he didn't stand much of a chance in the Wimbledon final. I don't see what has changed since then that would make him more competitive in the gold medal match in Paris.
Alcaraz – Djokovic Pick
It's rare that I bet matches like the men's final at Wimbledon, but this year saw an astoundingly poor price that I think disrespected Alcaraz in a big way.
While I think this price is less egregious, I still think the market is pricing up Djokovic based on reputation. He faced more resistance than the scorelines indicate in his past two rounds and is set to face an incredibly powerful and aggressive opponent — one who is strong on return and elite in the athleticism department.
I wouldn't go large on this bet, but the line is about a half game off for me, so I will take a bit of the -3.5.
