Aug 30, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; Novak Djokovic (SRB) works the crowd while playing Alexei Popyrin (AUS) on day five of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

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Novak Djokovic vs. Learner Tien Preview, Prediction and Betting Odds for US Open 2025 Round-1

First career meeting between the icon and the next-gen.

Seventh seed Novak Djokovic opens his account against Learner Tien of USA in the 2025 US Open Round of 128 on Sunday. While Djokovic is searching for his 25th Grand Slam trophy, Tien is aiming to announce himself on the big stage. Can the young American cause an opening round upset? Continue reading as break down the statistics and betting odds – via BetMGM.

Novak Djokovic vs Learner Tien Match Preview

Despite winning just one title this year, Novak Djokovic is always a contender when it comes to the majors. His past records, and the fact that he has constantly reiterated how the Grand Slams are his priority, make him a threat to anyone gunning for glory. The 38-year-old has a 26-9 record this year – including a title in Geneva and final in Miami. Djokovic is a semifinalist at the three previous majors in 2025. The World No. 7 has a 41% break point conversion rate on this surface.

Lacoste are temporarily changing their logo from a crocodile to a goat in honor of Novak Djokovic! 🐐 pic.twitter.com/nXolpQsNy2
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) August 22, 2025

Interestingly, Learner Tien has made a name for himself as one of the giant killers of the ATP Tour. In 2025 alone, he has defeated four Top-10 players so far (Medvedev, Zverev, Shelton, Rublev). At the age of 19, this fearless left-hander has entered the Top-50 of the rankings. Having reached the QFs in Acapulco and Mallorca, he backed it up with several Round of 16 outings – including at the Australian Open. Tien has gone 17-8 on hard courts this season, with a service game success rate of 75%.

"LEARN THE NAME" ‼️

19-year-old American Learner Tien takes down No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller at the Australian Open 😱 pic.twitter.com/MM3ag4KKTc
— ESPN (@espn) January 16, 2025

The head-to-head record between Djokovic and Tien is currently 0-0. The 2025 US Open will be their first meeting on the professional circuit.

Novak Djokovic vs Learner Tien Career Comparison

Novak Djokovic	Category	Learner Tien
7	Current Ranking	50
1150-231	Career W-L Record	22-24
26-9	YTD W-L Record	17-18
100	Career Titles	0
1	YTD Titles	0
24	Grand Slams	0

Novak Djokovic vs Learner Tien US Open 2025 Prediction

The fast courts of Arthur Ashe Stadium will aid the flat game of Tien. Moreover, his lefty angles could trouble Djokovic – particularly when he opens up the court from the Serb’s backhand wing and then goes inside out. Tien served only around 57% first serves in Cincinnati, which could bring about his downfall. Djokovic is likely to ease into the match and apply pressure by targeting the American’s serve and making a move forward.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic in four sets.

Novak Djokovic vs Learner Tien US Open 2025 Betting Odds

Djokovic is an outright favourite when it comes to the pre-match betting odds against Tien. According to the implied probability on the money line, the 24-time major champ has an 88% chance of advancing to the Round of 64. Here’s all you need to know about the betting odds (as per BetMGM):

Novak Djokovic Win: 2/15
Learner Tien Win: 23/5

Total Games >34.5: 41/50
Total Games By Djokovic >19.5: 10/13
Total Games By Tien >14.5: 17/20
Tien +2.5 (Set Handicap): 7/10
Tien to Win At Least 1 Set (Yes): 7/10
Total Number of Tiebreaks >0.5: 9/10

(According to BetMGM: BetMGM offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!)

(Image Credits: Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)

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Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.