Novak Djokovic says he will only play at Wimbledon if he is fit enough to challenge for the title.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion flew to London earlier this week as he continues his recovery from a knee injury that he sustained at the French Open. Last month Djokovic tore the medial meniscus in his right knee and subsequently underwent surgery. He has yet to confirm his participation at Wimbledon but his rapid recovery process has been pretty impressive.
On Monday, the world No.2 was at the All England Club where he held a hitting session with Argentina’s Federico Coria and reportedly won their practice tiebreaker 8-2. He was seen wearing a protective sleeve over his knee, as well as his right arm.
“The plan was to try to play Wimbledon, so that’s what I’m doing. That’s why I’ve come to train and see how it goes,” news agency EFE quoted Djokovic as saying afterwards.
“I can’t give many details about the knee, but it’s going well. The rehabilitation is going in the right direction every day. Little by little it’s getting better. That’s what’s giving me hope and desire to keep going. I still have a week ahead of me, enough time. I’m going to do my best to find out how I am before the draw is made.”
There are still four days before the Wimbledon draw takes place at 10am on Friday. Djokovic has yet to win a title this season but has reached the semi-final stages of the Australian Open, Monte Carlo Masters and Geneva Open. The last tournament he won was the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin.
Given his current injury issues, it might be expected that Djokovic’s expectations for the upcoming Grand Slam will be somewhat different. However, the Serbian is sticking to his high standards.
“I haven’t come here to go through a few rounds,” he states.
“I’m going to play if I’m sure. I’m going to take it day by day, based on how I am, how I feel and if I can play at my best.
“If I can’t play, I’ll give someone else that opportunity. I’m only going to play if I’m in a position to go far and fight for the title. I’m not pushing myself to the limit, but I hope that happens in the next few days. I wouldn’t be here without the doctors’ permission.”
As for his current form on the Tour, the 37-year-old assures that he has no intention of walking away from tennis anytime soon. If he wins Wimbledon one more time, Djokovic will equal Roger Federer’s record for most titles won at the tournament which is eight.
“I’m not planning to retire and have this be my last Wimbledon, so I want to keep going and this year has been different,with this injury in Paris.” He said.
“It’s bad luck, but it’s part of the sport. It’s the first time I’ve had a major knee injury, so I’m dealing with it day by day, as best I can and together with my team members. I’ve put in a lot of hours in the last two weeks on my rehabilitation. Probably more than if I wasn’t injured.”
Should Djokovic decide to not play at Wimbledon, it will be the first time the tournament has taken place without any of the three Big Three playing since 1998.
