Does Novak Djokovic Really Have That Tough a Draw at the Olympics as Claimed by Fans on Social Media?

On Thursday, the Olympics released the draw for the men’s tennis singles event, and from the looks of it, Novak Djokovic is not going to have it easy in Paris.

Djokovic, who is the No.1 seed for the Olympics, has received a rather tough draw for his campaign. Although the 24-time Grand Slam champion has beaten the players against him on several occasions, his age, fitness, and struggle with form for a large part of the 2024 season, could prove to be a hindrance this time.

Many believe that if World No.1 Jannik Sinner participated instead of withdrawing from the tournament due to a last-minute injury, Djokovic‘s life would have been much easier as the second seed. Naturally, fans soon poured in with their reactions to the draw, believing that the Serb is a victim again of some shoddy work from an event’s organisers.

Djokovic could face the ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal in the second round itself, assuming that they beat their first-round opponents – Matthew Ebden and Márton Fucsovics respectively. In case Djokovic beats Nadal, he will be facing one of the home hopefuls, Frenchman Arthur Fils in the third round.

Furthermore, upon reaching the quarterfinals, the 37-year-old could either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Sebastian Baez. Both are very good at clay, which could mean more hard work for Djokovic.

And if the former World No.1 manages to pass that litmus test, either Alexander Zverev, the French Open 2024 finalist or American No.1 Taylor Fritz could await him in the semifinals. While Djokovic would back himself to make it to the finals, he would have to fight for the gold medal against either Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning French Open champion or Casper Ruud, the 2-time French Open finalist.

If neither of the two make it that deep at the event, Danill Medvedev stands an outside chance to play Djokovic.

Although Djokovic has been dealt a difficult hand, the top seed in the other half of the draw, Alcaraz will not have it that simple either. In a tournament like the Olympics which have best-of-3 matches and quality matchups in almost every round, making the Serb a victim is not completely accurate.

For instance, the Spaniard will have to mostly play either Alejandro Tabilo of Chile or Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round itself. Both are considered to be clay court specialists, so one can’t rule out an upset win from either of them.

If Alcaraz goes through, USA’s Tommy Paul or Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur could await him in the quarterfinals. Both are giant killers on their day and the Spaniard has not had it easy against either of the two in the past.

In the semifinals, Ruud could be Alcaraz’s opponent and that would be a match as good as a final, especially on clay. Alcaraz doesn’t seem like the outright favorite, although he had a brilliant French Open campaign.

Should Alcaraz have to take on Djokovic or once again, Zverev in the final, it would be anyone’s game since it is about momentum as well as who is more proactive to be better on the day.

It will be interesting to see how Djokovic fights against all odds for Olympics glory. However, the highlight of the tournament is set to be the potential clash between Nadal and Djokovic, as it might be the last time that the two tennis legends and rivals play against each other and at the Olympics too.