Djokovic trains without knee protection ahead of US Open

ATP
Sunday, 18 August 2024 at 21:30
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Novak Djokovic practices without knee protection for the first time since his injury at the French Open. The 24-time Grand Slam champion appears to be fully recovered and ready to compete as he prepares to defend his title at the upcoming US Open.
Two months ago, the outlook was bleak for the Serbian, who had to withdraw from Roland Garros before stepping on the court against Casper Ruud. He quickly underwent knee surgery that same week, leaving doubts about his participation in Wimbledon and even the Olympic Games.

Djokovic practices without knee brace

However, it now seems that everything is in the past. The Serbian managed to expedite his recovery to participate in Wimbledon, where he reached the final but lost to Carlos Alcaraz. A few weeks later, he took revenge in Paris 2024 and claimed the gold medal in an exciting final, once again against Alcaraz.
Nole’s recovery has been almost miraculous, although he had been seen wearing knee protection during the last tournaments and training sessions. A new video on social media shows Nole training without protection for the first time, just over a week before the US Open begins.
The Serbian was the champion in 2023 and will be aiming for his first title of the year (at the ATP Tour level) in Flushing Meadows. The world No. 2 decided to skip the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open to continue working on his recovery, so he hasn’t played on hard courts since March. However, this likely won’t be a problem for Djokovic, who has shown countless times in his career that he doesn’t need much time to adapt to a surface change.
For now, Djokovic is slated as the second seed at the US Open (allowing him to avoid Jannik Sinner until a potential final), though he still has to wait for the end of the Cincinnati Open, as if Alexander Zverev wins the title, Djokovic will be seeded third.
In any case, Djokovic will be one of the main favourites, carrying maximum confidence after securing the coveted gold medal at Paris 2024 and with the goal of winning his 25th Grand Slam title, which would give him the absolute record in tennis history, surpassing Margaret Court (24 GS titles).

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