Greg Rusedski has given Novak Djokovic real hope of winning Wimbledon and says he could even be ‘joint-favourite’ alongside defending champion Jannik Sinner.
World number one Sinner overcame a scare in his Wimbledon opener to beat Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets.
The 24-year-old Italian twice found himself a set behind but proved his class to deny Kecmanovic one of the biggest wins of his career.
Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final but will not have to overcome his long-time rival in SW19 this time around after the Spaniard was ruled out through injury.
The defending champion is therefore the clear favourite to claim his fifth Grand Slam title, at least according to the bookies, but Rusedski believes the legendary Djokovic cannot be discounted.
Djokovic, 39, is bidding to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and claim a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam at the All England Club.
The Serbian icon, who has not added to his Grand Slam tally since 2023, began his Wimbledon campaign with a hard-fought win over China’s Wu Yibing.
‘Novak Djokovic is my second-pick for the Wimbledon title,’ Rusedski said on the Off Court podcast.
‘People are comparing him with Serena Williams in a way because of their age and status but you can’t compare him to Serena. He’s been playing all year and he’s still a full-time professional.
‘Let’s not forget he beat Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open, nobody thought he was going to win that match, and he got off to a brilliant start against Carlos Alcaraz in the final before Alcaraz put the accelerator on.
‘With Alcaraz being out, Djokovic has only got to beat one of the big two and he will think, this is my best chance to win number 25.
‘If Djokovic gets to 25 it’s a bit like Rafael Nadal and his 14 French Open titles. It’s a number that’s never been hit before and would be truly remarkable.
‘Look at Djokovic on grass as well, he doesn’t need any warm-ups. He got enough tennis in Paris and he’s playing well enough.
‘For me, he might even be joint-favourite because of the heat. If it’s super hot like it has been in the UK, Djokovic is definitely one of the best grass-court players on the planet.
‘Don’t discount Djokovic. For me, he’s the second favourite to win the title and his best chance to win number 25.’
Djokovic will face former Australian Open and French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round of Wimbledon, while Sinner takes on Nuno Borges.
Other contenders for the men’s singles title include new French Open champions Alexander Zverev and former US Open finalist Taylor Fritz.
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