Novak Djokovic credited his fellow ATP rival Taylor Fritz with guiding him through rehabilitation from the torn meniscus he sustained at this year’s Roland Garros.
Djokovic was a major doubt to play at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, which commence on Monday, July 1st. He slipped on the court multiple times while playing Francisco Cerundolo at the French Open, although he could complete the match, which he won in five sets.
After that, he underwent some tests, and an MRI scan revealed a tear in his right knee. After briefly consulting with his team, he withdrew from the tournament before his quarterfinal clash against Casper Ruud to undergo surgery.
As it stands, Djokovic looks set to play in the third Grand Slam of the season and has been drawn to face 27-year-old Czech Vit Kopriva in the first round. His quick recovery is a minor miracle, considering that his surgeon in Paris was downbeat about his chances of making it to London.
Djokovic has now shared the details of the private conversation with World No. 13 Fritz, who was in a similar predicament after the 2021 French Open and recovered from the meniscus tear with an even shorter timeframe than the Serb to make it at Wimbledon that year.
“Taylor Fritz! Three years ago he had pretty much the same situation. Actually, I had probably like four, five days more than him. So, he was the first person I reached out to when I found out that he had similar injury and circumstance.”
“He was very kind to share his journey and really helped out with some of the experiences and advices, you know, how to approach it because it’s the first time I had this kind of a knee injury.”
Djokovic has been playing with a knee brace in his practice matches and during the exhibition in Hurlingham, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev. He will be pursuing a record-tying eighth title in the next fortnight.
