Adelaide International 1 2023: Novak Djokovic vs Constant Lestienne preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match details

Fixture: (1) Novak Djokovic vs Constant Lestienne

Tournament: Adelaide International 1 2023

Round: First round (Round of 32)

Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, Adelaide, Australia

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Prize money: $642,735

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Tennis TV | Australia - 9Now

---

Novak Djokovic vs Constant Lestienne preview

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Adelaide International.

Former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will square off against Constant Lestienne in the first round of the 2023 Adelaide International 1.

While Djokovic was prevented from competing in several high-profile events due to the vaccine mandate, he still ended up having an excellent season. He clinched his first title of the year at the Italian Open, which was his record-extending 38th Masters title.

The Serb lost in the quarterfinals of the French Open, with rival Rafael Nadal being the one to end his title defense. He bounced back by claiming his 21st Major title at Wimbledon. Towards the end of the season, he won back-to-back titles in Tel Aviv and Astana.

He also reached the final of the Paris Masters but came up short against Holger Rune. Djokovic capped off his year by winning the ATP Finals for a sixth time, equaling Roger Federer's longstanding record. He recently competed in an exhibition event, the World Tennis League. The 35-year-old lost to Alexander Zverev but won his match against Sebastian Ofner.

Lestienne was ranked outside the top 200 at the start of 2022. He grinded his way through the Challenger circuit, winning three titles and reaching another couple of finals. He cracked the top 100 in the rankings in August and started competing in ATP events.

Lestienne made it to his first quarterfinal at the ATP level at the San Diego Open. He improved upon that result by reaching the semifinals in Tel Aviv. In his next two tournaments, he failed to get past the second round.

---

Novak Djokovic vs Constant Lestienne head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.

---

Novak Djokovic vs Constant Lestienne odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Novak Djokovic
Constant Lestienne

(Odds will be added once they're available)

---

Novak Djokovic vs Constant Lestienne prediction

Novak Djokovic at the 2022 ATP Finals.

Lestienne is still a novice when it comes to going toe-to-toe against the ATP bigwigs. While he has improved his gameplay to rise through the ranks over the past year, he still has a lot to learn. He won't even have the time to play himself into form here since he's up against Djokovic.

As for the Serb himself, he was the player to beat in the second half of the season. He lost just a handful of matches and came out on top in plenty of close encounters when it was tested. The gulf between him and the rest of the tour remains as wide as ever.

There are hardly any holes in Djokovic's game, with Lestienne's odds of exploiting any weaknesses being astronomical. Expect the reigning Wimbledon champion to make a winning start to his campaign in Adelaide.

Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.