Dan Evans earned himself a tantalising tie with Novak Djokovic in the second round of Wimbledon and the Serbian has expressed worry about playing the World No. 154.
Dan Evans got his wish of a Centre Court tie against Novak Djokovic as both men navigated their first-round ties at Wimbledon.
Evans defeated fellow Briton Jay Clarke in three sets, while Djokovic needed one more to get past Alexandre Muller.
While the two are miles away in the ATP Tour rankings, Djokovic has expressed a huge worry about playing Evans.
Novak Djokovic prepares for difficult Dan Evans he’s yet to beat
Djokovic and Evans have only ever played once on tour, with their sole meeting going the way of the Briton.
Evans beat Djokovic in straight sets at Monte Carlo in 2021 on the clay, and it’s something the Serbian has not forgotten.
“The only time we played was on clay actually. He beat me in Monte-Carlo,” said Djokovic in his Wimbledon press conference as he looks to win his 25th Grand Slam.
Djokovic pinpointed several aspects of Evans’ game he is wary about, including the Briton’s use of the slice.
“I think that favours grass courts because the ball stays low,” said Djokovic, before turning his attention to Evans’ other weapons on the court.
“He can serve and volley. He chips the ball, comes in, mixes up the pace. He’s really a tricky opponent to play against. You don’t want to have him in your draw really in the early rounds.”
Djokovic and Evans open up Centre Court on July 3, with play set to begin at 1:30pm.
Novak Djokovic’s likely route to Wimbledon glory
This is likely Djokovic’s best time to win a final Grand Slam as he’s proved he’s imperious at the tournament in the last six years.
The star has made six consecutive finals, but has fallen at the last hurdle in the last two years against Carlos Alcaraz.
| Round 3 | Miomir Kecmanovic |
| Round 4 | Alex De Minaur |
| Quarter-final | Jack Draper |
| Semi-final | Jannik Sinner |
| Final | Carlos Alcaraz |
He’ll have to beat some huge names if he wants to reach the final again, with likely meetings with Kecmanovic, Alex De Minaur, Jack Draper, and Jannik Sinner standing in his way.
Should he get through those challenging ties, he’ll still likely have to navigate past his Spanish nemesis in the final two.