“It’s not yet there where I want it to be,” Novak Djokovic admits recovering from knee injury is a work in progress as he continues to compete in Wimbledon
Djokovic has reached the third round in London, where he will face Alexei Popyrin.
Novak Djokovic (Via Imago)
Novak Djokovic is yet to win a title this year and his hopes of ending that drought at the French Open came crashing down when he picked up a knee injury and had to pull out of the tournament. He later underwent surgery and surprised everyone by recovering time for the Wimbledon Championships.
Just before the start of the grass Major, Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev in an exhibition match. After the win, he stated that he felt no pain in the knee and was fully fit to mount a title challenge at SW19.
While he breezed past Vit Kopriva in the first round, his second-round match was a bit more physically challenging as he needed more than three hours to beat Jacob Fearnley. After the match, he disclosed that he was not at his best just yet.
It’s not yet there where I want it to be. Kind of late on the balls that I’m normally not late on. That’s the part which I guess comes with matches. So the longer I stay in the tournament, I think the better the chances that my movement will improve.
Novak Djokovic said at a press conference
However, the Serbian also said he does not want to worry too much about the knee and will instead focus on his matches ahead.
?? Novak Djokovic says his knee is not where he wants it to be, and that he still has to be careful when sliding, but notes that this it to be expected after surgery:
— Olly ??? (@Olly_Tennis_) July 5, 2024
“It’s not yet there where I want it to be. Kind of late on the balls that I’m normally not late on. That’s the… pic.twitter.com/5FqqeDJzFm
Novak Djokovic’s tricky path to Wimbledon final gets slightly easier after Hubert Hurkacz withdrawal
Novak Djokovic was handed a slightly tricky draw at the Wimbledon this year. Although he does not have rising youngsters like Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz in the mix, he has the likes of Hubert Hurkacz and Alex De Minaur as possible opponents before the final.
The World No. 2, however, was handed a bit of luck as Hurkacz picked up an injury and withdrew from the tournament. That said, the likes of Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev are still in the mix.
The immediate challenge for Djokovic is a third-round clash with Alexei Popyrin and will head into the match with the confidence of having never lost to the Australian so far. They last faced each other in the second round at the Melbourne Major earlier this year.
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Laxman Naren
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