Updated 2020 ATP Finals Predictions: Djokovic to Recapture Title After 5-Year Hiatus

It’s difficult to believe half a decade has passed since Novak Djokovic last won an end-of-year tournament at the ATP Finals, but a smooth start in London has him on track to halt the hiatus in Sunday’s final (November 22).

This year has been a topsy turvy won for the Serb, who begun 2020 with triumph in the Australian Open—his eighth crown Down Under—but saw his stock fall as a result of organising the ill-fated Adria Tour during the coronavirus pandemic. He’s since been named year-end world No. 1 for a record-equalling sixth time and begun the 2020 ATP Finals with a 6-3, 6-2 dismantling of Diego Schwartzmann:

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2020 🙌@DjokerNole is Year-End No. 1 for a record-equalling 6th time! #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/gyMF8u1B7G

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 15, 2020

Despite his wait between titles in London, Djokovic now leads at +110 odds with Sugarhouse NJ to claim a sixth career crown in this 50th anniversary edition of the Finals. Daniil Medvedev—his most major threat in the Tokyo 1970 Group—comes closest to matching that price at +350.

Medvedev, fourth in the ATP Tour rankings, made an underwhelming ATP Finals debut last year when he lost all three round-robin matchups, but a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexander Zverev showed the Russian is in a far better place to challenge this time around:

Elsewhere in the London 2020 Group, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem lead after besting Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in their respective openers. 

Nadal has made it to the final of this competition on two occasions (2010, ’13) but never won the ATP Finals, the last piece of substantial silverware missing from his trophy cabinet. The Spaniard is a +450 dark horse with Sugarhouse for New Jersey customers, but his limitations in hard court contests may keep him from adding that last piece of the jigsaw.

That’s particularly the case given Djokovic’s current form. The 33-year-old was always well favored to beat debutant Schwartzmann, but the overpowering nature of that performance indicate the world No. 1 is looking to make up for lost time this year.

Even success in London won’t bring Nole back to the pinnacles of his career when he won four straight ATP Finals between 2012 and 2015, but there are still significant returns to be made backing the favorite at +110 during the first round.

2020 ATP Finals Betting Odds

Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win 2020 ATP Finals (+110)