Novak Djokovic continues his preparation for Wimbledon, set to start on July 1. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is already back on the court after surgery on the meniscus of his right knee, and his dream of playing again at the All England Club seems closer than ever.
The world No. 3 trained for two hours on Monday with Argentine Federico Coria (No. 71), the younger brother of former French Open runner-up Guillermo Coria. Djokovic’s last match was also against an Argentine, in the fourth round of the French Open, where he defeated 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo in five sets.
Djokovic returns to training with Argentine opponent after knee surgery
At Roland Garros, Djokovic never seemed fully comfortable on the court, but his experience allowed him to advance to the quarterfinals. However, before facing 2-time finalist Casper Ruud (7th seed), Nole announced his withdrawal from the tournament and quickly decided to undergo surgery.
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Initially, his participation in Wimbledon seemed unlikely, and the Olympic Games appeared to be his probable return. However, the Serbian hopes to surprise everyone and expedite his recovery to pursue his 25th Grand Slam title at SW19, aiming for the absolute record in tennis history, surpassing Margaret Court.
On Monday, Djokovic was on the court for the first time since the operation, testing himself for two hours against Federico Coria, who has made three appearances in the main draw of the third Grand Slam of the year. According to ESPN Argentina, they exchanged rallies for 10 minutes during the first hour, with 5-minute breaks in between to avoid overloading Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic at 2024 Rome Open.
The Serbian wore knee and forearm protection and needed massages from his physical trainer on his wrist and forearm twice. In the second hour, they increased the intensity of the training and played two tiebreak sets, betting on a post-practice coffee. Djokovic won the first set 8-6, coming back from a 2-6 deficit, while Coria won the second set 9-7.
The tournament starts on July 1, and Djokovic’s first on-court training session raises hopes that he may play at Wimbledon despite initial predictions following his surgery.
