Novak Djokovic withdraws from grass exhibition as question marks rise over Wimbledon challenge

On Monday, the prestigious Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic X account posted that Novak Djokovic will be playing in their tournament as some preparation for Wimbledon. However, in mysterious circumstances he has pulled out, leaving a whole number of question marks surrounding the Serbian's fitness heading into the third Grand Slam of the year.

Deciding to not compete in any ATP events on grass in between Roland Garros and Wimbledon for the second time in two years, Djokovic is leaving it very late to show his hand on grass. He has made a trend of missing tournaments throughout the year no matter how big they are to prioritise the Grand Slam events.

He is desperate to be the first person to win 25 major titles, leading the field by himself while cementing his name even further as a tennis great and possibly the greatest in some people's eyes. Wimbledon could be the place to do it. The seven-time champion reached the final at worst in the prior six editions before 2025 when Jannik Sinner gave him a harsh reality check in the semi-finals.

In contrast to clay, grass is a less physical surface and one maybe more suited to the 39-year-old. Tennis fans were intrigued to see him compete at Hurlingham in the exhibition with the likes of Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton and Flavio Cobolli also in action.

A statement read: “The King Returns: Novak Djokovic Returns to Hurlingham for the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic," by the organisers who were excited as anyone to welcome Djokovic back. He was set to face off against Karen Khachanov for the second year running, but that is not going to be the case.

In cryptic fashion, Djokovic's name vanished from the schedule. It was replaced with Martin Damm who will now take on Khachanov following Sinner's clash against Cameron Norrie. No announcement has been released to why Djokovic will not be participating.

As forementioned, Djokovic is used to not competing on a regular basis before tournaments. Scheduled to play in the Adelaie International at the start of the year, he pulled out of that with just a couple of practice sets played Down Under before reaching the final in magnificent fashion.

While he did get fortunate with players retiring and injuries, he still showed his undeniable class as the tournament progressed. Last year before Wimbledon, he did not play in any tournaments and that us the same with the US Open, reaching the semi-finals in both of them.

In short, a lack of preparation does not spell doom for Djokovic by any means. The mystery around this withdrawal does raise concerns over his fitness.

He missed a chunk of 2026 through a shoulder injury, only playing in the Rome Open before Roland Garros, in which he lost in the second round before Joao Fonseca completed a brilliant comeback in Paris.

Whether it is his shoulder or something else bothering him, he will hope that the problem is not too serious and a precaution more than anything else. He could also be sheltering away from the very hot weather. The Uk is currently experiencing a heat wave with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. He may have wanted to avoid any unnecessary exposure to the gruelling temperatures which he may have to face at SW19.

Wimbledon will commence from the 29th July with Djokovic one of the favourites to clinch the title. No Carlos Alcaraz opens the field a bit more with Sinner still the overwhelming favourite.