Novak Djokovic confident he can make Wimbledon run on repaired knee: I go all in

WIMBLEDON, England — Novak Djokovic’s right knee has responded so well after surgery to repair a torn meniscus less than a month ago that he said Saturday he considers himself ready to contend at Wimbledon, where he has won seven of his 24 Grand Slam trophies.And, no, he will not adjust how he plays to protect the knee.“I don’t see myself holding back.I don’t see myself calculating or being a bit more cautious in the movement.

I don’t see that happening,” Djokovic said at a pre-tournament news conference Saturday.“Really, I go all in.

I go full out.I mean, that’s the way I’ve been playing my entire career.”When a reporter asked Djokovic why he would risk getting back on court at all so soon after the surgery, the player said his wife posed the very same question.

Djokovic, who has yet to reach a final at any event in 2024, described what he called an “incredible desire to play, just to compete” and added that Wimbledon, in particular, has held a special place in his heart since he was a kid.So, Djokovic continued, merely “the thought of me missing Wimbledon was just not correct.I didn’t want to deal with that.”He explained that though he was “very much in doubt of making” it to the All England Club after getting hurt at the French Open on June 3, he is far more optimistic after a week of practices at the site of the grass-court major that begins Monday.“All the days that I’ve spent here,” he said, “give me only positive signs and encourage me to really think — not just think, but feel — that I can do it.”His first-round match against qualifier Vit Kopriva is scheduled for Tuesday.“I didn’t come here to play a few rounds and prove to myself and others that I can actually compete in one or two matches.

I really want to go for the title,” said Djokovic, who is seeded No.2 behind Jannik Sinner and was the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz a year ago at Wimbledon.

“The last three days have given me enough optimism ...