Djokovic has yet to confirm whether he will play at Wimbledon this year. However, he has already arrived at Wimbledon and has done some practice. He made it clear that he would only compete in the grass court Grand Slam if he felt he was fit enough to compete for the title.
Yesterday (June 24), Djokovic greeted 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina with a high-five on the grass training ground.
Djokovic's last appearance on tour was in the fourth round of the French Open, when he suffered a knee injury. After retiring from competition, he underwent surgery and has been steadily recovering since then.
Initially, there were big doubts about whether Djokovic would be able to play at Wimbledon as he didn't have much time to get back to full fitness before the tournament. But now, with the Serbian coming to the UK, it's increasingly likely that he'll be in the main draw.
In his quest for his eighth Wimbledon title, Djokovic said in an interview with the media that he had been planning to play Wimbledon and that he was not surprised that he was recovering so quickly. While Djokovic has not elaborated on the specifics of his knee at this time, he insists his recovery is very positive and he feels more hopeful now than he did a few days ago.
"I'm not surprised. The plan was to try to play Wimbledon, so I'm doing it. That's why I came to train and see how it went. I can't reveal too many details about the knee, but it's going well. Rehabilitation is moving in the right direction every day. Little by little, it got better. Djokovic said. This gives me hope and the desire to move forward. I still have a week to go, and that's enough. I'll do my best to find out about myself before the form comes out. He added.
Djokovic, meanwhile, stressed that he will only play at Wimbledon if he is confident to make it all the way to the end, rather than just winning a few matches. "I'm not here to play a few rounds. If I had confidence, I would have competed. If I can't compete, I'll give it to someone else. Djokovic said.
"I'll only compete if I have the ability to go further and compete for the title. I'm not going to push myself to the limit. I wouldn't be here without the doctor's permission. Djokovic added.
Djokovic further spoke about his injury at the French Open earlier this year, saying that while it was bad luck, he still believes it is an inevitable part of the sport. The Serbian insisted that with the help of his team, he is managing his injury as much as possible, adding that he currently has no plans to stop playing at the end of the year, regardless of the setbacks.
"I'm not going to retire and I'm not going to make this my last Wimbledon, so I want to keep playing and this year it's different, I got injured in Paris. It's bad luck, but it's part of the sport. This is the first time I've had a serious knee injury, so I'm doing my best every day and working hard with my teammates. I've spent a lot of time in rehab over the past two weeks. Djokovic said.
Last year, Djokovic reached the final of the Wimbledon Tennis Open, but lost to Alcaraz in a marathon five-set battle. This year, if he competes, he will be the No. 2 seed, while Sinner is the top seed. (Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)