ATP Tour

Struff: ‘My H2H against Djokovic isn’t great, but whose is?’

Jan-Lennard Struff may have found his stride at just the right time, and the German now has Novak Djokovic in his sights as he looks to turn his late-season surge into a big upset on Thursday at the Swiss Indoors Basel.

Riding the momentum of a run to his first ATP Tour final since 2024 in Brussels, Struff arrived in Basel with his confidence renewed. The 36-year-old backed that up on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against countryman Yannick Hanfmann, earning a shot at Djokovic and an opportunity to finally break his duck in their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry, which the Serbian leads 8-0.

“One is the GOAT, so it’s nice to have the opportunity to maybe play against him,” Struff told ATPTour.com when asked to preview his two potential second-round opponents. “He needs to win his match first, because Humbert is a great player as well. Against Novak, my head-to-head record isn’t that great. But whose head-to-head record is great against Novak? It would be a pleasure to play against him.”

Djokovic duly secured his place in the second round, but not without a stern examination from Ugo Humbert. The former World No. 1 battled to a tough three-set win to set the second-round clash with Struff, who will be eager to test just how far his own game can take him against Djokovic in 2026.

Struff has plenty of reasons to believe he can make life difficult for Djokovic, having this year reached his first major quarter-final at Wimbledon before carrying his form indoors in Europe, where he came within touching distance of the title in Brussels. Now, with the season entering its closing stages, he is looking to keep that momentum alive at the ATP 500 event in Basel.

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If Struff is to prevail against Djokovic, his serve is likely to be central to his chances. Standing at 6’5”, the German has one of the biggest serves on Tour and is at his most dangerous when he can dictate play, step inside the baseline and use his power to keep opponents on the back foot.

“He's been playing really well lately,” Djokovic said. “He's always been a tough player on any surface. He's so tall and has one of the biggest serves. He loves to come in and be another guy who is super aggressive. So I'm going to have to try to start off better than I did today.”

For Struff, the challenge represents another opportunity to finish the season on a high and make his mark during the indoor swing, where his powerful game can be particularly effective. The World No. 47 will be looking to build on his Brussels run and carry his best tennis into the final events of the year, while Djokovic has his own ambitions to pursue as he targets a place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

Djokovic is 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, 319 points behind ninth-placed Rafael Jodar, who effectively occupies the final qualification spot.

The Serbian’s 20-8 record in 2026, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, has included a run to the Australian Open final in January and a title-winning campaign in Beijing earlier this month, when he claimed his 102nd tour-level trophy. Djokovic’s latest victory against Humbert was another example of his ability to grind through difficult moments, even when he feels there is more to give.

“I get satisfaction in fighting my way back against the young players and really hanging tough and showing to myself and others that I can still grind,” Djokovic told ATPTour.com after his three-set win over Humbert. “I can still go toe to toe with younger players. That's the positive of today, obviously: the fighting spirit and the resilience.

“I know I can play much better in some areas of my game, but a win is a win and I'll take it.”

That resilience is precisely what Struff will have to overcome, with the German looking to build on his recent run to the Brussels final and finish the season strongly. Djokovic, meanwhile, will be aiming to maintain his push towards a record 19th qualification for the season finale, knowing he will need to be patient against the German's powerful serve and aggressive game to extend his dominant lead in their rivalry.