“I began to doubt”: Former Spanish Star praises Novak Djokovic’s resilience after suffering injury in French Open
ATP
Former Spanish player Nicolás Almagro has expressed surprise at Serbia’s legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic's reaction to his recent injury. 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.
According to his high standards, Djokovic is having a difficult 2024 season. The Belgrade-born star has yet to play in the final of any event, and that streak continued in the French Open. He was forced to withdraw from
the mega-event after suffering a knee injury just before the start of the
quarterfinal against Norway’s Casper Ruud.
Former Spanish player Almagro was recently quoted in a report
where he explained how he could not believe seeing Djokovic’s reaction after
suffering the injury. He had suffered a similar injury during his playing days, which was not easy for him to cope with.
“I tore my meniscus in a very similar situation,” he recalled.
“The gestures I made were very similar to those of Djokovic. It didn’t seem
like anything, but when I stood up, I felt very unstable and couldn’t continue.
As I saw it, it was clear to me that it was the meniscus. But then I saw him so
good in the last set that I began to doubt. Because I couldn’t move and he was
as if nothing had happened.”
Novak Djokovic was forced to withdraw from the French Open because of a knee injury
After suffering that injury, Djokovic underwent surgery, which put his participation in the upcoming mega-events, especially at Wimbledon and the Summer Olympics, at risk. Djokovic has had some promising starts this year but has not managed to continue his form from last year.
It will be interesting to see whether he can bounce back and reclaim the top spot, which he lost to
Italy’s Jannik Sinner. The 22-year-old recently became the world number one after an impressive 2024 season, during which he won his first Grand Slam—the Australian Open—in January.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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