Key Takeaways
- Novak Djokovic lost in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday to Jannik Sinner and was clearly playing through an injury that he sustained in the quarters.
- Following the straight sets defeat, Nole gave an important health update before the final Major of the year – The US Open.
- The 24-time Grand Slam winner believes he'll be at an “optimal level” for New York.
Djokovic at US Open (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LONDON - After his semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic quickly appeared before the press and delivered—at least—one piece of good news: he expects to be ready for the US Open starting on the 24th of August.
It was clear that Djokovic’s movement was limited during his match with Sinner; he didn’t slide even once on the grass. In the English portion of the press conference, he emphasized that “reality hit” and that “it’s not about bad luck—it’s about age.”
Serbian journalists asked Novak whether he had considered not stepping onto the court at all.
"I never really thought about not stepping onto the court at all. I didn’t have that bad of a feeling, in the sense that I couldn’t stand on my leg. I couldn’t practice yesterday, but during warm-up it felt pretty good, all things considered. There was uncertainty about how my leg would respond. I played more from a static position, didn’t move around too much in the warm-up“, said Djokovic before adding:
"But already by the middle of the first set, there were a few more aggressive movements—especially toward my forehand side—where I had to push off. That’s when I felt a worsening of the condition. Actually, the first six or seven games were OK, but after that it wasn’t“.
When does he estimate he will be able to return to the court?
"I don’t believe this will keep me off the court for too long. Unfortunately, I’ve had similar injuries recently and I managed to come back relatively quickly. I think I can get myself to an optimal level for the US Open, to be able to play at the highest level“.
Djokovic is the four-time champion in New York, with the last of those titles coming in 2023.
In May, Djokovic turned 38, and he hasn’t won a Grand Slam title since the 2023 US Open. Still, what raises concern—and shows that no one can truly defeat time—is the way Djokovic has exited his last six Grand Slam tournaments.
Out of those six Slams, starting from Roland Garros 2024, Novak sustained an injury in half of them.
In Paris, he tore his meniscus and withdrew before his quarterfinal match against Casper Ruud. He then played the Wimbledon final on one leg, and at the US Open, he lost in the third round—mentally drained after achieving his dream of winning Olympic gold.
At the Australian Open, he got injured during the quarterfinal against Alcaraz. He somehow managed to win that match, but his hamstring didn’t hold up—he retired against Alexander Zverev in the semifinal after losing the first set.
At Roland Garros, Novak played above expectations, considering his clay-court season up to that point, but he lost in three tight sets to Sinner in the semifinal.
At Wimbledon, everything seemed to be going well until the closing stages of his match against Flavio Cobolli. Novak missed a match point he should have converted, had the rally under control. Then, on the next point, he slipped and took an awkward fall.
He managed to finish that match, but in the semifinal against Sinner, it was clear from the start that he couldn’t move properly. The final score: 6–3, 6–3, 6–4. A loss at the tournament many believe was Novak’s last real chance to win another Grand Slam title.
