Greg Rusedski has been seeking to review a remarkable Roland Garros tournament, which threw up plenty of narratives for fans to enjoy.
Whether it be injury turmoil or outstanding results, he wanted to cover it all.
Combing back over the Parisian event for Tennis Channel’s Inside-In podcast, which saw a new male winner crowned whilst Iga Swiatek reinforced her legacy at the tournament, the former Great British tennis player could not mention this event without referencing Novak Djokovic.
After all, the Serbian now faces a tight race to be fit for both Wimbledon and the Olympics, having suffered a nasty knee injury in his win over Francisco Cerundolo before then retiring from the competition.
Greg Rusedski provides behind-the-scenes Novak Djokovic injury update
Interestingly, Rusedski has now revealed what he has been hearing from within the 37-year-old’s camp, noting: ‘I’ve had some conversations with his (Djokovic’s) agent and he wants to play a lot longer, he wants to be the Tom Brady of tennis.
‘And a meniscus injury is not serious, it’s just bad luck. And he was starting to play well at the French, I would not discount Novak. If Novak wants to play for another two, three, four years — whatever it is — don’t write him off.
‘This is not a serious injury and he’s the most disciplined athlete I’ve ever seen. I think he’s probably the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen in my life, I mean he is that good as a player.
‘Yes, this year hasn’t been great for him, but let’s not forget, last year he won three of the four Majors and he was in the finals of Wimbledon. Probably one of the Wimbledon finals where he probably should have won the match, but things just didn’t go his way.
‘And everybody’s writing him off because it’s five months he hasn’t played great and he’s got an injury now. I’m not writing him off at all, I think he’s gonna be back with a vengeance.
‘I think if the hunger’s there and he still enjoys travelling and he can get the family on the road with him a little bit more, watch out.’
Will Novak Djokovic play Wimbledon 2024?
The question therefore on everyone’s lips is will the Serbian play at Wimbledon this summer?
After all, many assumed he would likely just skip the tournament where he is a seven-time champion in favour of some added recovery time and the ability to remain on clay without a brief grass-court interlude.
However, it has since been reported that Novak Djokovic will travel to Wimbledon, with a decision therefore likely to be made next week.
Should he play, regardless of his injury, many would expect a deep run from the legendary veteran.
But with the Olympics surely his ultimate goal, the ramifications of this shift in surface as well as the rushed nature of his return will remain a worry.
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