US Open 2023: Novak Djokovic vs Alexandre Muller preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (2) Novak Djokovic vs Alexandre Muller

Tournament: US Open 2023

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Hardcourt

Prize money: $65,000,000

Live telecast:- USA: ESPN | UK: Sky Sports | Australia: Nine Network | Canada: TSN | India & South Asia: Sony Sports Network

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Novak Djokovic vs Alexandre Muller preview

Djokovic returns to New York after two years.

Second seed Novak Djokovic commences his bid for a fourth US Open title against Frenchman Alexandre Muller.

World No. 2 Djokovic is coming off his fourth title of the year at Cincinnati, outlasting top seed Carlos Alcaraz in an epic final. In a near four-hour humdinger, the 36-year-old recovered from a set and a break down, saved a championship point before converting his fifth for his third Cincinnati title.

With a 38-5 record on the season, Djokovic returns to Flushing Meadows for the first time in two years since missing the last edition due to his COVID-19 vaccination status.

The Serb has been a performer par excellence at the Majors this year. He won his 10th title at the Australian Open and third at Roland Garros before Alcaraz ended his bid for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title in a thrilling five-set final.

Djokovic, whose last triumph at Flushing Meadows came in 2018, holds an impressive 81-13 record at the last Grand Slam of the year.

Meanwhile, the 85th-ranked Muller dropped to 8-9 on the season following an opening-round exit at Winston-Salem this week. The 26-year-old's last win on tour came at Wimbledon, where he made the second round.

Muller reached the Marrakech final and Doha quarterfinal in 2023 and a few other deep runs on the Challenger Tour. He's making his main draw debut at Flushing Meadows, having lost in the first round of qualifying in the last two years.

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Novak Djokovic vs Alexandre Muller head-to-head

The two players haven't met on tour before, so their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.

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Novak Djokovic vs Alexandre Muller odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (over/under)
Novak Djokovic	-10000	-1.5 (-10000)	Over 27.5 (+115)
Alexandre Muller	+2800	+1.5 (+1050)	Under 27.5 (-160)

All odds are sourced from BETMGM.

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Novak Djokovic vs Alexandre Muller prediction

Muller is making his US Open debut.

Both players like to dominate opponents from the baseline, but the similarities in their game styles end there.

Djokovic is one of the best returners in the sport's history and has a formidable all-court game. Although Muller can serve bigger and hit more powerfully than the Serb, he sorely lacks in experience, consistency, and pedigree.

Djokovic - who will return to World No. 1 if he wins this match - has won a whopping 354 matches in Grand Slams, while Muller has won just two. Moreover, on hardcourt, the Serb is 675-122, while Muller is 3-5.

On paper, this is a mismatch, and it could also pan out the same way on the court. Expect the Serb to win without much fuss.

Pick: Djokovic in straight sets