Novak Djokovic is back on the practice courts, working on his fitness and match sharpness after a fan captured footage of his most recent training session.
It’s been over two weeks since Djokovic was last seen in a competitive match, beating Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round of Roland Garros. But a day after the match, he underwent knee surgery and withdrew from the tournament.
Apparently, Djokovic was carrying a knee injury into this year’s clay-court Grand Slam, and his condition worsened while he was playing back-to-back five-setters in Paris. He tore his meniscus after slipping multiple times on the court while playing the man from Argentina.
A top Serbian doctor has previously stated that Djokovic’s surgery is among the mildest and might not have needed an incision in the first place but was confident he would play at Wimbledon and the Olympics.
But Djokovic’s surgeon believes he won’t completely recover to return for the grass-court major where he is bidding to win a record 24th Grand Slam and eighth Wimbledon, which is scheduled to begin on July 1st.
In recent days, the 37-year-old has made enormous progress in his rehabilitation, filling his fans with outpouring of hope and optimism that he will play soon. Djokovic stopped using crutches within a week after surgery and began stretching a week ago.
This week, the former World No. 1 began running and took to the practice courts, where he lifted his racket for the first time since Roland Garros.
A freelance sports journalist named Andrew Halligan was strolling on the streets of Montenegro when he was thrilled to see Djokovic playing on the court. He shared a short video on his X account (formerly Twitter).
“Out for a stoll and who happens to be playing tennis around the corner, only @DjokerNole.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was practicing behind closed doors, though a few young fans were spotted watching and cheering. With just a week to go until Wimbledon begins, Djokovic enters a crucial phase in his decision-making journey for the tournament.
