Report: Novak Djokovic set for knee surgery; Wimbledon in doubt

League: Tennis


Posted on: 05 Jun, 2024 at 03:13 PM

Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

Novak Djokovic is scheduled to have surgery on his torn right meniscus, leaving whether he will play at Wimbledon in question, ESPN reported.

The surgery is set for Wednesday in Paris, per the report -- a day after he withdrew from the French Open because of the injury.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner said after he defeated Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in a grueling, five-set match in the fourth round on Monday that he'd been playing through a knee injury. He apparently suffered the meniscus tear against Cerundolo. An MRI done Tuesday in Paris confirmed the severity of the injury.

Djokovic, 37, is a seven-time winner at Wimbledon, which starts July 1. He could play in London if he has a speedy and successful recovery, but it is likely he could decide to bypass the grass-court event and continue to tune up on the clay courts in Paris, which will host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The Olympic tennis tournament begins July 27.

He has never won an Olympic gold medal, settling for bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"It's all about building my game for clay courts," Djokovic said in April, per ESPN. "I want to reach my peak for Paris. That's where I want to play my best tennis. Anything else is a bonus, so let's see what happens."

--Field Level Media