"I will be very surprised if Novak plays Wimbledon," former Brit No. 1 doubts Djokovic's Wimbledon return

Tuesday, 25 June 2024 at 23:00

Former Brit No. 1 Greg Rusedski opined that it is unlikely Novak Djokovic will be able to play at Wimbledon, despite the Serb pushing for his return to the courts of the All England Club.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion underwent knee surgery just over two weeks ago, and although he seemed practically ruled out for the third Grand Slam of the year, Djokovic has already been hitting balls and could return to SW19 against all odds.

Greg Rusedski: Unlikely Djokovic will play Wimbledon

Initially, Djokovic was even in doubt for the Olympic Games. He underwent surgery on the torn meniscus in his right knee and quickly began his recovery. The Serb decided to travel to Wimbledon anyway while awaiting confirmation of his participation.

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Former world No. 4 Greg Rusedski commented on social media that it is still too soon for Djokovic to return to play: "I will be very surprised if Novak plays Wimbledon. Great to see him on the court practising ,but feel this is more of seeing where he is at and getting good preparation until he is 100% ."

Djokovic recently told the BBC that he is hopeful of competing while maintaining a good recovery: “Rehab is going in the right direction every single day, a few per cent better and better. That’s what’s giving me hope and encouragement to keep going.”

“I’m taking things gradually. I’m not pushing myself yet 100%, but I’m hoping that’s going to come in the next few days,” the 7-time Wimbledon champion said. “I didn’t come here to play a few rounds. If I know I can play close to my maximum or at maximum, then I’ll play. If not, then I’ll give somebody else a chance to play.”

Greg Rusedski

@GregRusedski1

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I will be very surprised if Novak plays Wimbledon. Great to see him on the court practising ,but feel this is more of seeing where he is at and getting good preparation until he is 100% .

7:16 AM · Jun 25, 2024

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

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