From crutches to strides: Novak Djokovic on the road to recovery

Former world number one Novak Djokovic’s fans finally have good news ahead of the busy tennis season. The 37-year-old is often regarded as the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era in the singles category, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles in his illustrious career.

Djokovic is having a rather poor 2024 season. He has yet to play in a final. That streak continued in the French Open as well as he was forced to withdraw from the mega-event just before the start of the quarterfinal against Norway’s Casper Ruud because of a knee injury.

Right after getting injured, it was reported that Djokovic underwent surgery, which raised doubts about his possible absence from upcoming mega-events such as Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.

However, according to the latest report, there is finally some good news for Djokovic’s fans as he walked without crutches in the hospital for the first time since his surgery.

The report stated that the former world number one walked without any problem and spent more than an hour at the clinic.

According to the report, the player will now return to Belgrade, where he will spend three weeks. This means he is unlikely to play in Wimbledon but can still participate in the Olympics.

If Djokovic does not play at Wimbledon, it will be the first time he has missed the competition because of a fitness concern since starting to play in 2005.

He remains one of the most successful players in the competition's history, having won it as many as seven times, only behind Switzerland’s Roger Federer, who has lifted the title eight times.

His most recent triumph at Wimbledon came in 2022 when he defeated Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in the final with a score of 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(7–3).