Admiration for Serena Williams' Comeback
Novak Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, expressed deep admiration for Serena Williams as he prepared for this year’s tournament. At 39 years old, Djokovic acknowledged that Serena’s return to professional tennis has added extra motivation to his own campaign.
“What she’s doing is inspirational and it’s epic,” said Djokovic, who is aiming to join Roger Federer with eight Wimbledon titles if he wins this year. “That’s what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, Venus, as well.
“For her to come back after years of being absent from the tour, two children later, and to give so much effort, not just for her own satisfaction or coming back on the tour, but also to give all of us a pleasure of seeing her back on the court – in singles as well as doubles – is remarkable. I told her that whatever happens, what she’s doing is truly inspirational for me personally, I’m sure for millions around the world.
“I see her in the gym more than I have, I think, seen her when she was at her prime. It tells me that she really wants this to work out the best way possible. It’s admirable, honestly, the effort she’s putting in. Of course, all eyes are on her comeback. I just hope that she will enjoy because she really deserves. She created something historical, legendary in her career. She deserves every applause she’s going to get.”
Djokovic’s Status and Recent Form
Despite being in his 40th year, Djokovic enters Wimbledon as the second favorite, trailing only the defending champion, Jannik Sinner. This ranking is notable given that Djokovic has participated in only three events and played seven matches since reaching the Australian Open final in January.
A shoulder injury sidelined Djokovic for much of the clay-court season until Roland Garros, where he advanced to the third round before losing to a promising young Brazilian player who many view as a future star.
“Roland Garros was physically very draining, demanding,” Djokovic said. “Three matches, all of them went almost four hours. But I’m proud of the effort. I lost in the third round against a 20 years-younger opponent, fought until the end in five sets, almost four and whatever hours that we played. Maybe not the result I was looking for, but the effort was there.
“Anyway, I was planning to peak at Wimbledon. I knew not having any matches, official matches on the tour, going pretty much straight into Roland Garros, was going to be quite difficult. Maybe too big of a challenge for me at the moment. That’s what happened. But I knew that’s going to give me a bit more time to get myself prepared for Wimbledon. So hopefully I’ll have a good tournament here.”
Wimbledon Draw and Preparation
Djokovic is scheduled to begin his Wimbledon campaign on Monday against Wu Yibing of China, a player who has recently returned to the world’s top 100 after overcoming injury struggles. Positioned in the same half of the draw as Sinner, Djokovic may need to overcome the Italian to secure another Wimbledon title. His performance in Melbourne demonstrated his capability when physically fit.
The prospect of winning a 25th Grand Slam title continues to drive Djokovic’s dedication. On grass courts, he has often limited his match play, preferring to focus on practice and occasional exhibition matches, such as the one he participated in this week at Hurlingham. This approach has proven successful for him over the years.
Djokovic expressed greater confidence in his preparation for Wimbledon compared to Roland Garros, noting the physical demands of grass are less intense than clay. He also highlighted his strong history at Wimbledon as a source of confidence.
“I’m better prepared here than I was for Roland Garros,” he said. “Obviously playing on grass, comparing to clay, you don’t need to exert as much physical effort. So that’s better for me. I always loved playing on grass. I have a very good history in Wimbledon. That gives me, of course, a higher dose of confidence coming into the tournament.”
