Novak Djokovic‘s surgeon who operated on his meniscus tear has offered a damning verdict on his chances of playing Wimbledon as his next step is very much dependent on his recovery.
Djokovic suffered a meniscus tear during his win over Francisco Cerundolo after dealing with a knee injury for some time. But it was left aggravated by the conditions inside of Roland Garros which Alcaraz also suffered with during the final against Alexander Zverev.
Currently it seems like he will play Hamburg European Open for definite in the run-up to the Olympic Games with Rafael Nadal also looking to sign up for the tournament as well as maybe Carlos Alcaraz depending on Wimbledon.
Physio Antoana Geromete who dealt with his surgery said that three weeks will be ‘really difficult to achieve’ in terms of returning from injury and that it is impossible for him to make a decision at least right now on it due to it progressing day by day. This as a result puts a kibosh on him likely trying to play Wimbledon.
But it was more likely that he would return at the Olympic Games anyway with the Serbian ace holding that as one of his big goals for the season as likely a last chance saloon kind of deal.
“In the 45 minutes that we spent with Novak, his team and Vincent Guiard, the doctor of the French Tennis Federation, I was very open that everything will depend on the reaction of his knee.
“By gradually increasing the load, we will see if it remains ‘dry’ and without swelling or pain. It will be progress from day to day, but it is impossible to predict the state in which it will be in a week, two and so on. But to be at 100% in three weeks, it really seems difficult to achieve.”
He added: “He’s a real force of nature because given the nature of the injury, what he’s done is extraordinary.
“As many as 99% of people would probably end up immediately in the emergency centre with a ‘locked’ knee. It is a mechanical blockage, and the reality is that only surgery can fix it. It calls into question the unfair criticism of him and the interpretations of those who say it’s not a real injury.”