“Won’t hold back” in his pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon championship, says Novak Djokovic

According to Novak Djokovic, he believes he has a good chance of winning an eighth Wimbledon championship because his knee has healed so well from surgery.

Less than a month ago, the Serb underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, casting question on whether he would even qualify for the grasscourt championships.

The record-holding 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, nevertheless, expressed confidence that his knee will hold up over the two-week competition, which begins on Monday, and that he won’t alter his all-out strategy.

“I don’t see myself being reticent. I don’t see myself moving with any more caution or calculation. At a press conference held prior to the competition, Djokovic stated, “I don’t see that happening.”

“I really give it my all. I give it my all. I mean, I’ve played my entire career in that manner.”

The Serb, 37, is poised to mount a one-man battle to preserve the legacy of Wimbledon’s golden generation in the face of an increasingly successful new wave spearheaded by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic lost last year’s final to Spaniard Alcaraz and was .succeeded as Australian Open champion by Sinner with the Italian also taking his world No 1 ranking.

Then, as Djokovic hobbled out of Paris with the knee injury that required surgery, he watched Alcaraz win the French Open.

Djokovic would become the oldest champion of the modern era if he were to tie Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon victories.

In his opening round on Tuesday, Djokovic, ranked 123rd, will face Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic. “I have this incredible desire to play, just to compete,” remarked the tennis player.

“Just the thought of missing Wimbledon was not correct.”

There is unquestionably a shift in the air in south-west London with Federer having announced his retirement, Rafael Nadal missing the competition to concentrate on the Olympics in Paris, and Andy Murray competing following a back operation.

Alexander Zverev, the fourth-ranked player in the world, said on Saturday that 2017 Wimbledon will be the “most open in 20 years”.

Since the ‘Big Four’ have won 19 of the previous 20 titles, it is likely that at least one of them will not compete in the men’s final on July 14 for the first time since 2002.

Alcaraz is already a three-time major winner, and he is sixteen years younger than Djokovic.

When he was still a teenager, he won the US Open in 2022. In 2023, he overcame Djokovic in a five-set final at Wimbledon, and in June, he defeated Zverev in another five-set match at the French Open.

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