Will the ‘Djoker’ drop a set for the first time?
In pursuit of his eleventh Australian Open title, Botic van de Zandschulp faces Novak Djokovic in the third round, and Wettbasis has a tip for you! So far, the Serbian veteran has been playing very confidently.
In his two appearances at this year’s Australian Open, the 38-year-old has not dropped a set and has not conceded more than seven games in either match. However, his upcoming opponent is likely to be his toughest challenge yet.
He also improved in his last match compared to the first round, when he only advanced after four hard-fought sets against Brandon Nakashima. In his match against Juncheng Shang, he recorded a straight 3-0 victory and only had to sweat in the first set, when the tiebreak decided the outcome in his favor.
He also surprised the Serb last year when he beat him at the Masters in Indian Wells! Against this backdrop, the match between Botic van de Zandschulp and Novak Djokovic looks likely to go to at least one tiebreak.
Furthermore, we expect the underdog to win a set, although we still consider the 24-time Grand Slam winner to be the favorite to win the match.
Botic van de Zandschulp – Novak Djokovic Head-to-head record
The pair have faced each other twice so far. After the Serb won their first meeting in 2022, the Dutchman followed up with a 2-1 victory in Indian Wells last year, as mentioned at the beginning.
For the third duel between Botic van de Zandschulp and Novak Djokovic, however, the odds are once again clearly pointing towards a triumph for the world number four.
Botic van de Zandschulp – Novak Djokovic Tip
Even though Djokovic has not been playing at his peak for some time, he remains one of the top players on the tour. In addition, the veteran now takes very long breaks, which compensates for his physical disadvantage.
For this reason, the Athens resident looks fresh on the court at the current Australian Open. His upcoming opponent will therefore probably be just a stepping stone for the “Djoker.”
However, the Dutchman won the last duel against Djokovic and is currently in good form, which is why at least a defeat does not seem likely for him. His mental strength is particularly noteworthy: he has played three tiebreaks in his two matches at the 2026 Australian Open so far and has always come out on top. We see sufficient value in the betting odds for another tiebreak in the match between Botic van de Zandschulp and Novak Djokovic!
