Who is Dino Prizmic? A Beginner’s Guide to Novak Djokovic’s 2024 Australian Open opponent

Novak Djokovic will begin his quest for a 25th Grand Slam victory against a Croatian teenager making his Grand Slam main-draw debut on Sunday.

18-year-old Dino Prizmic faces long odds against his illustrious opponent. Despite Djokovic suffering a wrist injury in his 2024 United Cup debut, Prizmic nonetheless stands at +1800 betting odds to pull off what would be a historic upset according to DraftKings Sportsbook—but his meteoric rise and junior pedigree may make him a worthy long-term investment.

Get to know Prizmic before he faces Djokovic to kick off Rod Laver Arena’s opening night session:

The Basics

• Born August 5, 2005
• Birthplace: Split, Croatia (home of 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic)
• Height: 6’1” (1.85 m)
• Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
• Career-high ranking: No. 155
• Coach: Miro Hrvatin

The Bio

Prizmic balanced a busy schedule playing juniors and Futures tournaments until last spring, when he won the Roland Garros boy’s singles title—dropping just one set in six matches. Within a week of his 18th birthday, he captured his first ATP Challenger victory in Banja Luka, planting three seeds en route to the title. The win helped him break into the Top 200.

After making his Davis Cup debut for Team Croatia, Prizmic ended the 2023 season by scoring his first victories over Top 100 players. Playing the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm, he qualified for the main draw by toppling Tomas Machac and made the second round after upsetting Jiri Lehecka in straight sets.

This Week

Playing his first Grand Slam qualifying tournament, Prizmic, who maintains a natural food diet, dropped just one set in three matches—booking his spot in the main draw with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Aziz Dougaz.

“I'm very happy about that because it's my first Grand Slam,” Prizmic told the ATP website. “It is a big moment for me and I just want to stay focused and play the next match. I will act like it is a normal match, not very stressed. I just want to play, be relaxed and to give the best for me.”

Up next is the biggest match of his life against the man he calls his tennis idol. Prizmic may have to channel another favorite athlete, MMA fighter Kamaru Usman, if he has any shot at the upset.