Kyrgios and Alcaraz fall early as Federer left glum – Djokovic’s ideal Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic on the importance of routines.

Novak Djokovic is set to face a series of stern tests at Wimbledon, despite the fact his only remaining ‘Big Three’ rival – Rafael Nadal – is skipping the tournament due to injury. The Serb is gunning for his third consecutive triumph at SW19 and a staggering 24th career Grand Slam overall.

A first-round match against Argentine Pedro Cachin should be simple enough for the 36-year-old, who comes into the tournament off the back of a French Open win back in June, where he defeated Casper Ruud in the final.

Djokovic is likely to be keeping one eye on how his key rivals get on at the All England Club ahead of potential heavyweight showdowns in the later rounds. The seven-time Wimbledon champion is great enough to mow down everything in his path and go all the way, but his bid for the crown could still be boosted by a number of key events unfolding.

With that, Express Sport takes you through three things that would make up an ideal tournament for Djokovic…

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Alcaraz and Kyrgios fall early

Although Djokovic comes in as the favourite, Carlos Alcaraz is the top seed and the world No 1 after an impressive triumph at Queen’s in June. An early exit for the youngster would come as a welcome bonus for the Serb, who is projected to meet him in the final.

Alcaraz’s first proper test is predicted to come in the fourth round, where he could meet in-form Alex de Minaur. The Aussie coming away victorious would cast aside one of Djokovic’s main threats to victory.

Although he has suffered from a lack of competitive action over the past few months, last year’s beaten finalist Nick Kyrgios is one of few players with the talent to unseat Djokovic, so the 28-year-old crashing out early – perhaps even against David Goffin in the first round – would surely go down well in the reigning champion’s camp.

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Banana skin avoided

A relatively simple projected route to the fourth round should see Djokovic coast through to that stage of the tournament. Once there, however, he could face big-serving Polish star Hubert Hurkacz.

Put simply, the 26-year-old has one of the best serves on the ATP Tour, and if he finds a rhythm against Djokovic, it could be bad news for the 23-time Grand Slam champion despite his returning prowess.

If the tournament pans out as predicted, overcoming a potential banana skin by beating Hurkacz would come as a huge morale boost for Djokovic and his team.

Federer left glum

Formerly the king of Wimbledon and a firm fans’ favourite, retired tennis legend Roger Federer currently stands alone in the all-time charts with a stunning eight career titles at SW19. Having waned in his later professional years, however, Djokovic has managed to catch up.

The Serb now sits alongside Pete Sampras, just behind Federer, on seven Wimbledon titles. If he justifies his status as the bookies’ favourite and wins an eighth, it will rid the Swiss of a treasured record and solidify Djokovic’s case to be considered the greatest of all time.

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