Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic ready after knee test

Novak Djokovic said he had tested his problematic knee to the max since arriving in London and was confident he would be ready for his Wimbledon opener on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old withdrew from the French Open before his quarter-final due to a torn meniscus and opted to have surgery to be fit for the third Grand Slam of the year.

“When it happened in the fourth round of Roland Garros, I made the decision very quickly to have surgery. I had big doubts about my participation at Wimbledon,” Djokovic told reporters on Saturday.

“I arrived here on Sunday. It’s been a week of training. Very good week of training. I’ve had, especially in the last three days, very intense tennis sessions. I’ve had points, sets training played with (Jannik) Sinner, with Frances Tiafoe, with (Daniil) Medvedev yesterday, and Emil Ruusuvuori and then today with (Holger) Rune as well.

“Really top players playing good lawn tennis. High intensity. I guess a lot of situations on the court where the knee is put to the test.

“The knee has responded very well to all of this so far, which is of course a good sign for my participation at Wimbledon. That’s why I decided to take part in the draw.”

Djokovic, who is aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title, said he would have a better idea once he tested the knee in a match situation.

“Obviously, once the tournament starts, I will have more sensations and more feedback on how my knee reacts in a best-of-five Grand Slam match,” he said.

Djokovic, 37, said missing Wimbledon would have been difficult to accept.

“I wouldn’t call it a fear of missing out. I would just say it’s this incredible desire to play, just to compete,” he said.

“Especially because it’s Wimbledon, the tournament that was always a dream tournament for me growing up. The thought of missing Wimbledon just wasn’t right.

“I didn’t want to have to deal with that. If I had failed, then I would have wondered whether I should be here or not. But I didn’t have a single one. Why not take a chance?”

Second seed Djokovic opens his bid for a men’s record eighth Wimbledon crown on Tuesday against Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva.