Three-time winner and second seed Novak Djokovic takes on Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday.
The match is scheduled to be second of the four fixtures on day three in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Djokovic comes into the second-round clash after a swift 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Frenchman Alexandre Muller on Monday. The win also ensured that Djokovic will replace Alcaraz as World No. 1 at the end of the tournament.
The 36-year-old Serbian is playing in New York for the first time since 2021. He had to miss last year’s edition as the US did not allow entry to international travellers who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. That restriction was removed in May this year.
Like Djokovic, Zapata Miralles too had a pretty straight-forward first round as he defeated local wildcard Ethan Quinn 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. The world No. 76 from Spain is looking for his first win over a Top 10 player, having lost all previous six fixtures. The 26-year-old is also aiming to reach the third round of a Major for only the second time in his career.
Djokovic has a 137-53 win-loss record against the Spaniards. The Serbian last failed to reach the third round of a Slam at the Australian Open in 2017.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Djokovic and Zapata Miralles have never faced each other.
