Novak Djokovic plays Nishesh Basavareddy at the 2025 Australian Open. Our Australian Open odds series has our Djokovic-Basavareddy prediction, odds and pick. Find out how to watch Djokovic-Basavareddy.

What will 2025 bring for Novak Djokovic? Last year at the Australian Open, Djokovic lost to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. It was easy to think that match was an aberration and a shock, but in the course of 2024, it turned out to be normal. Djokovic did not win a single major tournament last year, a rarity for a man with 24 major singles titles, the most of any man who has ever lived. It's true that Djokovic won the one event he really coveted more than anything else, a championship he had never previously attained. He won his first Olympic singles gold medal by beating Carlos Alcaraz in a classic final, made even more special by the fact that it was played at Stade Roland Garros, the site of the French Open. Djokovic winning the Olympics meant everything to him, so in that sense, 2024 was still a good year. Nevertheless, it remains that Djokovic did not add to his major singles title count, and as he gets into his late 30s (he turns 38 in May), everyone in tennis is wondering if Djokovic still has some magic left, or if Father Time is coming to collect the rent.

Djokovic is seeded seventh at this Australian Open, far from usual for him. What matters, though, is playing his way into form in the first week of the tournament. Djokovic and other top players don't have to be at their absolute best in the early rounds of these seven-match tournaments, but they do need to find ways to improve, build stamina, gain rhythm, and enter the final week with enough energy in reserve to win seven matches. Many of Djokovic's 24 major championships were achieved based on amazing escapes in long and difficult matches in the fourth round or quarterfinals of a tournament. He got through those landmines and then was able to rise up and play elite tennis in the final to close down a championship. This year, however, Djokovic might not get away with playing longer matches earlier in the tournament. He might be a little more spent since his current older self might not have the same stamina of Peak Djokovic several years ago.

Djokovic is still not someone to bet against, but with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal now both retired from professional tennis, all eyes are on the end stage of this legend's remarkable journey. Federer and Nadal had to call it a career. This 2025 tennis season should tell us a lot about how much fuel Novak Djokovic really has in his tank.

Here are the Djokovic-Basavareddy Australian Open odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

Australian Open Odds: Djokovic-Basavareddy Odds

Game Spread:

Djokovic -8.5 (-110)
Basavareddy +8.5 (-120)

Moneyline:

Djokovic -3000

Basavareddy +1200

To Win First Set:

Djokovic -650

Basavareddy +440

Total Games In Match:

Over 29.5 (-122)
Under 29.5 (-110)

Total Games Won:

Djokovic over 18.5 (-164)
Djokovic under 18.5 (+120)

Basavareddy over 10.5 (-130)
Basavareddy under 10.5 (-104)

How to Watch Australian Open

Time: 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT

TV: ESPN2, ESPN Plus

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why Novak Djokovic Will Win

He's Novak Djokovic. He can do anything. Yes, Djokovic has not looked great in Australian Open warm-up events, but he can still turn it on when he needs to. Basavareddy is relatively new to this stage and could easily be overwhelmed by the occasion, in which case this will become a Djokovic blowout victory.

Why Nishesh Basavareddy Will Win 

Djokovic is struggling. There is no question about it. He has also gotten a new coach, someone you might have heard of: Andy Murray. As smart as Murray is, will this partnership immediately click? It will probably require some time to ultimately become successful. This tournament might involve some growing pains for Djokovic in a period of noticeable transition.

Final Djokovic-Basavareddy Prediction & Pick

Djokovic could easily blow out Basavareddy, but do we know how settled Djokovic is with so many changes swirling around him? The lean is to Basavareddy, but this really isn't a match you should bet on. There are too many uncertainties.

Final Djokovic-Basavareddy Prediction & Pick: Basavareddy +8.5