Can the Serb seal his spot in the last eight, or will the defending champion extend his Californian streak?
After a disheartening loss in the men’s doubles, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will be hoping to keep his singles journey afloat at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The Serbian icon is set to take on British title hope Jack Draper in the Round of 16 on Wednesday. While the Djoker has captured this crown on five previous occasions, Draper is the defending champion at Tennis Paradise. Who will claim bragging rights and advance in the top half of the draw? Stay tuned to find out more about this clash.
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No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic survived minor scares in both his previous rounds here at Indian Wells. Yet, the 38-year-old managed to overcome Kamil Majchrzak and Aleksandar Kovacevic in three sets. Djokovic has 101 career titles and 1170 singles victories throughout his career. Having started the 2026 season with a potent record of 7-1, he will begin this match as the favorite. At the recently concluded Australian Open, the World No. 3 finished as the runner-up behind Carlos Alcaraz.
Currently the British No. 1 on the ATP Tour, Jack Draper is out to retain his championship in the Californian desert this week. The 24-year-old has won three singles trophies throughout his career, including two in 2024. With a singles win-loss record of 113-61 and a career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world, there is no doubt that Draper can cause an upset on any given day. The 14th seed edged past Roberto Bautista Agut in Round-2, before comfortably beating Francisco Cerundolo in the Round of 32.
According to the tennis betting odds on BetMGM, Novak Djokovic (-148) is the favorite and Jack Draper (+120) is the underdog on the moneyline for this pre-quarterfinal battle at Indian Wells. Here’s how we are betting on this Round of 16 duel at the ATP BNP Paribas Open 2026 at Indian Wells, including our best bets, supporting odds and a set-score prop for bigger prices.
Tournament & Round: ATP BNP Paribas Open 2026, Round of 16
Surface: Outdoor Hard Court
Format: Men’s Singles, Best of Three Sets
Date & Start Time: March 11, Not Before 18:00 Local
Court: Stadium 1, Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Best Bet: Novak Djokovic -1.5 Games @ -118 as per BetMGM
Novak Djokovic vs Jack Draper Betting Odds
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Given below are the latest odds for Novak Djokovic vs Jack Draper from the top sportsbooks. We are looking at the match money line, game handicap and total games, plus some set betting markets where available.
It is hard to pick a potential best bet with a positive return purely due to the nature of this match-up. The pendulum could swing either way with multiple shifts in momentum, which is why the market is also depicting deviations. Djokovic has an occasional tendency to ease into the match and tire his opponents out before getting a complete grasp of the game situation. He is winning close to 77% points behind his first serve, which could be pivotal against a moderate returner like Draper.
On the other hand, the surface suits the Briton’s style of play. At Indian Wells, trustworthy bounce and slower court conditions allow the southpaw to run round his forehand and exert his dominance over the longer rallies. Draper has a strong kick serve out wide, which he could use under pressure to test Djokovic’s defensive capabilities. One can expect this encounter to go the distance, with endurance being the determining factor at the end. We are predicting a narrow victory for the five-time champ in California.
Novak Djokovic Recent Form
Australian Open 2026: Final
Jack Draper Recent Form
Dubai Tennis Championships 2026: R16
Davis Cup Qualifiers 2026: 1-0
Novak Djokovic vs Jack Draper Head to Head Record
Novak Djokovic has a 1-0 record in the head-to-head against Jack Draper. The veteran needed four sets to down the home favorite in the opening round of the Wimbledon Championships in 2021. This is going to be the first meeting between Djokovic and Draper on a hard court.
Event
Round
Winner
Score
2021 Wimbledon
Round of 128
Novak Djokovic
4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2
How to Watch Novak Djokovic vs Jack Draper at the ATP Indian Wells 2026?
The ATP Indian Wells 2026 can be streamed live on various platforms and channels, depending on which part of the world you are watching from. This includes Tennis TV, Tennis Channel, Sky Sports, beIN Sports, ESPN International, Setanta Sports and TSN.
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.
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