Novak Djokovic is in Montenegro ahead of his trip to Paris
Novak Djokovic is finalizing preparations for the Olympic Games in Paris, training on clay courts at Slovenska Plaza in Budva. Novak arrived in Montenegro following his Wimbledon final loss, enjoying himself on a yacht with his family and recharging batteries. Djokovic should travel to Paris in the coming days, seeking an elusive title he is missing in his rich collection. Novak won a medal on his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008 before experiencing setbacks in the following three editions. Djokovic suffered losses to Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro (two times), Alexander Zverev and Pablo Carreno Busta in London, Rio and Tokyo, missing an opportunity to fight for a gold medal. The Serb will give his best at Roland Garros next week, looking eager to chase his first title of the season and the most desired one. Novak had an incredible run in 2023, lifting seven titles and finishing at the top after adding three Majors to his collection.
Djokovic has yet to play at that level in 2024, lacking titles and top-10 victories. The Serb lost the Australian Open crown to Jannik Sinner and suffered a couple of challenging losses in the upcoming months. Novak arrived in Paris with a knee issue and made it even worse following two Roland Garros marathons versus Lorenzo Musetti and Francisco Cerundolo. The veteran tore a medial meniscus in his right knee, withdrawing and undergoing surgery. Battling against time ahead of Wimbledon, Djokovic traveled to London and trained with protection on his knee, hoping it would endure the tests. Novak entered his 19th Wimbledon and defeated Vit Kopriva in the opening round after a solid performance, facing no problems while moving. Djokovic struggled a bit in rounds two and three against Jacob Fearnley and Alexei Popyrin.
Novak Djokovic is preparing for the Olympic Games in Montenegro.
The low-ranked Briton grabbed the third set and stood two points from forcing a decider before Novak sealed the deal with a late break, avoiding spending more time on the court. Popyrin won the opening set against Djokovic, looking eager to challenge him again after a tight Australian Open duel. Novak raised his level and won the next three, moving over the top and entering the second week without notable setbacks, which was his initial goal. The Serb produced a rock-solid win over his good friend Holger Rune in the fourth round, outplaying the Dane on serve and return and racing over the top. Djokovic did not have to play a single point in his 15th Wimbledon quarter-final after Alex de Minaur gave him a walkover due to an injury, providing the veteran with more days off the court. Novak used them nicely and ousted Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 for a place in his tenth Wimbledon final.
Djokovic attacked and played well at the pivotal moments, overcoming a deficit in two sets and sealing the deal to arrange the title clash against Carlos Alcaraz. Novak could not pass another obstacle and lift the trophy at 37, suffering a heavy 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 defeat in two hours and 27 minutes. Djokovic’s weaker movement was exposed by the young gun, with Alcaraz taking charge from the baseline. Novak tried to shorten the points and play with more risk, spraying too many errors and losing ground at the net. The Spaniard secured five breaks and lost serve once while serving for the win at 5-4 in the third set. Carlos stayed composed and sealed the deal in the tie break, celebrating his second consecutive Wimbledon title. Djokovic was happy with his run considering his knee issue, hoping to go one step further in Paris and secure an Olympic gold for his country.
. @DjokerNole in Budva,Montenegro 🇲🇪
Practice session 🎾#OlympicGames 🔜#Montenegro #Djokovic @NovakFanClub #NoleFam
📸: @slovenskaplaza IG,FB pic.twitter.com/EamhWCIdbl
— Milica Milutinovic (@MilicaM84932667) July 23, 2024
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