Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic insists he wants to 'go for the title' after miraculous recovery from knee surgery
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Published 30/06/2024 at 08:20 GMT
Less than a month after injuring his knee at the French Open, Novak Djokovic insists he is confident he can challenge for his eighth Wimbledon title. The 24-time Grand Slam winner underwent an operation on his meniscus after taking advice from Taylor Fritz and skier Lindsey Vonn. The Serb said he could not face missing Wimbledon, even if it might put his Olympic Games chances at risk.
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Novak Djokovic insists he is fit enough to “go for the title” at Wimbledon after a miraculous three-week recovery from knee surgery.
The 37-year-old drew on the advice of fellow athletes who had suffered similar injuries, including Taylor Fritz and skier Lindsey Vonn, who all assured him he could be in contention.
Djokovic underwent an operation on his right meniscus after slipping in the fourth round of the French Open and pulling out before his quarter-final with Casper Ruud.
But the seven-time Wimbledon champion took inspiration from Eastbourne International champion Fritz, who performed an equivalent comeback in 2021.
“After extensive conversations with certain athletes that have been through very similar situations, for example, Taylor Fritz who has been through something pretty much the same, like I have three years ago,” said Djokovic.
“I think he injured himself also in Roland Garros. He said 21 days after he played his first round in Wimbledon. [Stan] Wawrinka, Lindsey Vonn, they all shared their experiences.
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“Really, that gave me faith and optimism that if rehab is done right and correct, and if of course, the knee responds well, which is something that is very unpredictable, then there is a pretty good chance that I'll make Wimbledon.”
Djokovic has been playing practice sets with Jannik Sinner, Frances Tiafoe and Daniil Medvedev since arriving in SW19 last Sunday.
And while the knee seems to be holding up according to the Serb, others are questioning the wisdom of appearing at a Grand Slam just weeks away from the Olympic Games in Paris.
But Djokovic emphasised his passion for the game and for Wimbledon in particular as crucial reasons why he is risking a setback.
“I wouldn't call it a fear of missing out,” mused Djokovic. “I would just say it's this incredible desire to play, just to compete.
“Particularly because it is Wimbledon, the tournament that always has been a dream tournament for me when I was a kid.
“I always dreamed of playing Wimbledon. Just the thought of me missing Wimbledon was just not correct. I didn't want to deal with that.
“As I said few days ago, I didn't come here to play a few rounds and prove to myself and others that I can actually compete in one or two matches. I really want to go for the title.
“So the last three days have given me enough optimism and good signs that I can actually be in a state to compete on the highest level for the next few weeks, hopefully.”
The second seed will face Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva in the first round of Wimbledon, which starts on Monday.
And the 24-time Grand Slam winner will be hoping he can add another to the collection, even if his knee is yet to face the strain of a five-set match.
Djokovic said: “I still have couple days' time. I play on Tuesday. I'm confident about the health of my knee and just general physical state is really good.
“Obviously once the tournament starts, I'll have more I guess sensations and more feedback from how knee reacts to a best-of-five Grand Slam match.
“So far everything that was done was very positive.
“I haven't had any setback. If I had one setback, I would be then questioning whether I should be here or not. But I haven't had a single one. Why not give it a shot?”
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