Novak Djokovic – Jan-Lennard Struff prediction and betting tips – October 29, 2026
Basel, Switzerland
On October 29, Novak Djokovic and Jan-Lennard Struff will face each other in the second round of the tennis tournament in Basel. Here is my prediction for the upcoming battle.
Novak Djokovic
“Nole” needs no special introduction: he has long since proved everything there is to prove, winning 24 Grand Slam titles, yet he continues to play despite his best years being behind him. Djokovic is currently ranked only 12th in the world, although he is still producing high-level tennis.
This season, the Serbian reached the Australian Open final and recently managed to win the title in Beijing. Novak still has a chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals, but he needs to finish the season strongly. Djokovic began his campaign in Basel with a hard-fought victory over France’s Ugo Humbert – 4:6, 6:3, 6:4.
Jan-Lennard Struff
For most of his career, the German was a solid mid-ranked player. Struff is now 36 years old, and the twilight of his career is already approaching. This season, he has climbed slightly up the rankings and currently sits in 47th place.
The German has not won any titles this year, but he recently reached the final of the tournament in Bruges. Among his notable results, his Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance stands out. In the opening round in Basel, Struff defeated fellow German Yannick Hanfmann – 6:4, 6:3.
Head-to-head record
Djokovic dominates their head-to-head meetings 8-0. Their most recent match took place last year at the US Open, where the Serbian cruised to a 6:3, 6:3, 6:2 victory.
Prediction
This is one of those cases where the Serbian is only three years older than his opponent, so I do not expect Struff to have an edge in terms of endurance. Given their head-to-head record, the psychological advantage is firmly on Djokovic’s side, and the bookmakers also consider him the favorite. The winner of this matchup will face Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the next round. I am backing “Nole” to win in straight sets.
