Wimbledon 2024 Men’s Singles Second Round: Novak Djokovic vs. Jacob Fearnley preview, prediction, and live stream

Second seed Novak Djokovic will continue his pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon title as he squares off against local favorite Jacob Fearnley in the second round on Thursday. The former World No.1 came into this tournament with questions over his fitness but has dispelled some doubts after a dominant first-round win.

The Serbian arrived at SW19 earlier than scheduled and decided to have a few practice sets to test his fragile knee for a Wimbledon run. However, he claimed in interviews with various media outlets that he was playing without any pain.

On the other hand, Fearnley has made Great Britain proud with his fantastic success on the lower-level circuit. He also competed in the Men’s Doubles draw with Jack Pinnington Jones, but the duo lost in the first round to the Brazilian duo of Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo, respectively.

Novak Djokovic vs. Jacob Fearnley: Match Details

• Tournament: Wimbledon 2024
• Match: Novak Djokovic vs. Jacob Fearnley
• Round: Second Round
• Date: 4 July, 2024
• Time: 1:30 pm local time
• Venue: Centre Court, Wimbledon
• Surface: Outdoor Grass

Novak Djokovic vs. Jacob Fearnley: Match Preview

Novak Djokovic has started confidently at Wimbledon, beating Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 on Centre Court. Although his first-round performance is promising, the 2024 season has been challenging for the former World No. 1.

The Serbian has surrendered his Australian Open and Roland Garros crowns to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively. He has not won an ATP title so far this year and hasn’t even reached any final. Consequently, he lost his World No. 1 ranking to Sinner.

In contrast, Jacob Fearnley has secured ITF titles in the Nottingham Challenger and M25 EschAlzett. Unfortunately, he lost in the first round in Eastbourne. He regrouped by winning his first-round match at Wimbledon with a 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 victory over Alejandro Moro Canas.

The British wildcard is making only his second appearance on the main tour this fortnight. Meanwhile, Djokovic, who has won seven Wimbledon titles and reached nine Wimbledon finals, continues to be a formidable contender.

Novak Djokovic vs. Jacob Fearnley: Match Prediction

Novak Djokovic and Jacob Fearnley are playing with each other for the first time. Hence, the local favorite will have some optimism that his heavily favored opponent doesn’t know what to expect.

However, Djokovic’s experience is the difference maker. He has lost only one match on Centre Court in 11 years, which came in last year’s final to Carlos Alcaraz. Moreover, he has been in these situations many times before.

The only way Fearnley can make some sort of a match is by hoping that Djokovic’s physical condition shows warning signs or that the Serb displays the tennis level he has mostly shown in 2024. Apart from that, the tennis world doesn’t expect him to trouble Djokovic that much.

The tennis world knows the story of Marcus Willis, who prevailed in three wildcard matches, then won his first-round match of the main draw to book a second-round meeting with Roger Federer in the 2016 Wimbledon. Although he lost in straight sets, the local favorite gave a good account of himself. Fearnley should just go out and enjoy the occasion because he may never be involved in an occasion like this ever again.

Match Prediction: Novak Djokovic in three sets.

Novak Djokovic vs. Jacob Fearnley: Live stream details

• USA: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, ABC, Tennis Channel
• UK and Europe (Except France): BBC, Eurosport
• France: beIN Sports France
• Australia: Nine & Stan Sport
• Canada: ESPN International, TSN/RDS
• India: Disney+Hotstar

In case you missed it!

• Novak Djokovic explains why he was given permission to wear a grey strap on his knee despite Wimbledon’s all white policy
• WATCH: Roger Federer hopes Novak Djokovic can go on and ‘crush every record’ in tennis