Novak Djokovic has proven just how much of a physical specimen he is amid his superb run at Wimbledon.
The seven-time champion was among eight big-name players who were in danger of missing Wimbledon after undergoing knee surgery last month.
The Serbian withdrew from the French Open due to the injury, with Djokovic revealing that every doctor he spoke to told him meniscus surgery was required.
Djokovic went under the knife, and made a remarkable recovery to make it all the way to the semi-finals of Wimbledon.
And his journey is ongoing, with the 24-time Grand Slam winner now taking on Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the final.
When did Novak Djokovic know he would be fit for Wimbledon?
He unsurprisingly sought medical advice prior to the competition, but also spoke to fellow professional Taylor Fritz.
The American suffered the same injury three years ago, with Djokovic saying Fritz was ‘very helpful’ in helping him recover from the issue.
The current world number two has now revealed the moment he knew he could play at SW19 after his discussion with Fritz.
“I think when I heard from him that there is a really good chance if everything goes well, if the swelling is down, and the rehab process is respected, and of course, subject to the knee responding well, that there’s a very good chance that I’ll make it for Wimbledon,” Djokovic told Tennis Channel.
“And so I think that gave me a lot of confidence to go for it really. And I wasn’t, to be honest with you, thinking about Wimbledon a few days after surgery. I was just thinking, okay, how can I get out of the crutches and then start walking properly.
“I had great help from my physiotherapists and the rehab knee specialist that was also with me for the last three and a half weeks. He was doing work with me two, three times a day, and that helped a lot.
“And just having people that understand what you need to do with the knee. We were taking it day by day, and then I said, okay, if I was running already 10 days before Wimbledon, or 14 days before Wimbledon, I might as well come here, start hitting, and see how it goes. So, yeah, I’m just very pleased to be here.”
Taylor Fritz misses out on Novak Djokovic clash at Wimbledon
Fritz went through the exact same process as Djokovic back in 2021, with the American recovering from the issue in time to make it to Wimbledon.
This time around, the 26-year-old fell just one stage short of a fitting match-up with Djokovic at the All England Club.
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After beating Alexander Zverev in the fourth round, Fritz fell at the quarter-final stage to Musetti, with both matches going the distance.
The Italian 25th seed will now try and pull off a huge upset against Djokovic, with the winner of Carlos Alcaraz versus Daniil Medvedev then awaiting in the final.
The Serbian is very much the favourite to progress, particularly after Alex de Minaur withdrew from his quarter-final tie with Djokovic due to injury.
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