Djokovic vs Zverev ATP Finals Preview, Odds, Picks
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Both players have been getting a lot of negative press lately. At the moment, Zverev is public enemy number one, following domestic abuse allegations coming from his ex-girlfriend. Djokovic, on the other hand, has been involved in many troubles this year, many of which aggravated the tennis world. Still, ahead of the Djokovic vs Zverev ATP Finals match, everyone seems to be cheering for him.
It’s been a true rollercoaster of a year for Novak Djokovic. After winning the Australian Open, COVID-19 put an end to his winning streak. He then organized the Adria Tour in the middle of the pandemic, causing players and spectators to contract the virus.
Fast-forward to September and he’s hit the lineswoman with a ball. A month later, he got demolished by ATP #2 Rafael Nadal. Novak’s most recent disappointment happened at the ATP Vienna, where he lost 2-0 to a +1400 underdog.
Nevertheless, Djokovic has still managed to secure the top spot in the ATP Rankings at the end of the year. It’s his 6th year-end #1 finish, meaning that he’s equalized the record of his childhood hero Andre Agassi.
Djokovic vs Zverev ATP Finals Odds
| Novak Djokovic Odds | -135 |
| Alexander Zverev Odds | +110 |
Despite Poor Form, Djokovic is #1 Favorite to Win ATP Finals
Oddsmakers that deal with tennis futures have made Djokovic the #1 favorite for winning the ATP Finals. The odds on the Serbian superstar are somewhere in the ballpark of +165.
Djokovic definitely has a good chance to do so, as he likes playing on hardcourt, which is the surface used at The O2. Furthermore, his biggest rival, Rafa Nadal, has come to London soon after recovering from an injury.
Still, his main motivation is probably to finish the year in a good way. Winning the ATP Finals would definitely give him something to build on in 2021, after the very strange 2020. Plus, winning the London tournament would mean putting an end to a poor form.
After hitting the lineswoman in the throat with the tennis ball at the US Open, Djokovic got disqualified from the tournament. Although, technically, he didn’t lose that match, it was counted as Carreno-Busta’s win. It marked the end of his 100% winning streak in 2020.
Novak bounced back straight away with 5 wins at the ATP Rome, in which he lost only one set in total. From there, he continued his impressive series with 6 wins at the French Open, which booked him a ticket in the final.
Unfortunately for the Serb, that’s where he squared off with the French Cup specialist Rafael Nadal. The King of Clay had no problems beating Djokovic by 3-0 in sets, in one of which, Djokovic failed to win even a single game.
Next stop was ATP Vienna, where he won two first matches by 2-0 each. Still, despite the score, he did struggle in both of those matches. In fact, we saw a tie-breaker in both of those duels.
In his third match of the ATP Vienna, Novak Djokovic got destroyed by Lorenzo Sonego by 2-0 (6-2, 6-1).
WTF Happened With Djokovic in Vienna?
Prior to facing Djokovic, Sonego was #43 in the ATP Rankings. The Italian player came onto the court bearing the role of a huge underdog, with some sportsbooks giving as much as +1,400 on his win.
But, he did win. He absolutely dominated that match, causing Djokovic one of the biggest defeats in his career.
So, what happened there? According to Djokovic, there were two reasons for his embarrassing defeat:
- Ahead of the match, it became clear that he was going to secure #1 spot in the ATP Rankings, which made him less motivated to win at ATP Vienna.
- He was shaken by the news that the leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro had died just before the match.
Whether his mind is not in the right place remains to be seen. What’s very likely is that Djokovic is way more focused on the ATP Finals than his rival Alexander Zverev, who’s currently got a lot on his plate.
Domestic Abuse Allegations to Affect Zverev’s Performances?
The man who reached the final of the ATP Paris earlier this month has gotten into the headlines just before the start of the ATP Finals. The reason has nothing to do with his performance in the French capital. Instead, it has to do with allegations of domestic abuse.
Zverev’s ex-girlfriend Olya Sharypova has accused the tennis star of physical abuse while the two were dating back in 2019.
The allegations still haven’t reached the court, nor, in fact, has Sharypova filed any domestic abuse reports to the police. At the same time, Zverev refused to comment much on the subject.
One of the not-too-many things that he’s confirmed is that he hasn’t sued her for defamation, which has sparked the conversation that he might be hiding something.
Whether the allegations are true or not, this talk is likely to impact his focus. We saw him losing it back when he had problems with his manager.
Still, this time, he seems to be holding it well. The question is for how long? Maybe it takes a big opponent such as Djokovic for Zverev to break?
Djokovic vs Zverev ATP Finals Prediction
The two have met only 7 times so far, with Djokovic winning 4 of those matches. He beat Zverev in their two most recent meetings.
However, the last time they played on hard surface, Zverev won. The tournament in question was the 2019 ATP Finals. By beating Djokovic, Zverev won himself the 2019 ATP Finals title. Can he do it again or Djokovic is going to dethrone the reigning champ?
All considered, we should see a tough battle inside The O2, with a lot of games. Each player should be able to win a set, but Djokovic is the one expected to win more.
Our Djokovic vs Zverev ATP Finals Picks:
- Djokovic to Win
- Djokovic to Win 2-1 in Sets
- Over 30.5 Games
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