Djokovic back on court practising ahead of Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic posted a promising update on his social media on Thursday evening, sharing footage of him back on court practising following his knee surgery.

Djokovic’s post, which comes 10 days ahead of Wimbledon beginning, included the caption, “Tennis I missed you! We keep building day by day”.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion underwent knee surgery earlier this month, after withdrawing from Roland-Garros with a meniscus tear in his knee ahead of the quarter-finals.

It was widely assumed that the seven-time Wimbledon champion would be unable to compete at the Championships this year, given the tight turnaround time following the surgery.

Djokovic himself left the door open, however, saying after his surgery that he was “going to do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible.”

With the video that Djokovic posted showing him performing agility drills and hitting on a hard court, it seems as though the former No 1’s return may be sooner rather than later.

Never say never for Djokovic

Former Wimbledon champ Marion Bartolli declared earlier that she believes Djokovic will play at this year’s Wimbledon.

“What I can tell you is that, internally, what is said is that there is a greater chance that Djokovic will play Wimbledon than the other way around,” Bartolli said.

“So we have to stop thinking that he won’t play at Wimbledon. And if he finally plays, of course he will be one of the two favourites.”

Taylor Fritz also shared his experience with a similar surgery in 2021.

“A lot of it comes down to the inflammation and how you react,” Fritz explained.

“It’s possible for Novak to play. It’s the exact same thing that I had and I played. Obviously, I wasn’t contending to win a title, I was just showing up to hopefully win a couple of rounds – but it is possible.

“When I did it I couldn’t even walk. People are different. It’s the same actual injury. It really comes down to the level of inflammation. You pretty much have your full strength immediately. It’s more just the inflammation from the surgery. 

“As long as you can get that down and start playing without it puffing up again, you’re actually going to be fine to play.”

Whether or not Djokovic will compete at Wimbledon is unlikely to be confirmed until closer to the time. The fact that he’s back on court 10 days prior to the tournament is a good sign, however.

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