Dubai Tennis Championships 2022: Novak Djokovic's projected path to the final

Novak Djokovic will make his long-awaited return to action at the 2022 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The ATP 500 tournament, scheduled to begin on Monday, will mark the Serb's first appearance since the Davis Cup Finals last year.

Djokovic will be gunning for a sixth title in Dubai, but he is likely to face a few tough tests considering the strength of the field.

On that note, here's a look at Novak Djokovic's projected path to the final in Dubai:

Novak Djokovic's 1st-round opponent - Lorenzo Musetti

Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti at the 2021 French Open.

Djokovic has been handed a rather tricky opener in the shape of talented Italian youngster Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian gave the World No. 1 a huge scare in their only previous meeting, in the fourth round of the 2021 Roland Garros. Musetti led by two sets to love but lost 16 of the next 17 games before retiring due to injury.

Musetti didn't make the best of starts to the 2022 season, but he has picked up some momentum of late with quarterfinal showings in his last two tournaments.

Novak Djokovic's second-round opponent - Karen Khachanov/Alex de Minaur

Karen Khachanov takes on Alex de Minaur in the first round.

Djokovic will meet either Karen Khachanov or Alex de Minaur in the second round. Both men have played some solid tennis leading up to the tournament. Khachanov has reached the quarterfinals or better in three of his five tournaments this season, while de Minaur is coming off a quarterfinal run in Rotterdam.

The World No. 1 has never played de Minaur before, but holds a comfortable 4-1 advantage against Khachanov.

Novak Djokovic's likely quarterfinal opponent - Roberto Bautista Agut/Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic has a 2-18 record agaisnt Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic will likely face Marin Cilic or Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals. The Serb holds a commanding lead in the head-to-head against both players.

The World No. 2 has won 18 of 20 contests against Cilic and nine of 12 meetings with Bautista Agut.

Novak Djokovic's likely semifinal opponent - Felix Auger-Aliassime

Felix Auger-Aliassime recently won his first career title in Rotterdam.

Djokovic could face his biggest test in the semifinals in the form of recently-crowned Rotterdam Open champion Felix Auger-Aliassime. The two have never met on the ATP tour..

The Canadian is in the midst of a purple patch, having posted a 15-2 win-loss record in the 2022 season so far. Both Auger-Aliassime's losses came against Daniil Medvedev, but he had the Russian on the ropes in their quarter-final encounter in Melbourne.

Auger-Aliassime will have to first navigate his way through his section of the draw that features other big names like countryman Denis Shapovalov.

Novak Djokovic's likely opponent in the final - Andrey Rublev/Jannik Sinner

Andrey Rublev is the second seed.

Leading the other half of the draw are second seed Andrey Rublev and fourth seed Jannik Sinner. Both men hold a 0-1 record against Djokovic.

Rublev has a relatively simple path to the last four, but Sinner could face some resistance from the likes of Andy Murray and Hubert Hurkacz early on. A good start to the tournament will be crucial for both men to build some confidence ahead of a potential showdown with Djokovic.