Frances Tiafoe and Novak Djokovic are two of the biggest-name players whose potential Wimbledon presence remains in doubt.
After all, both fell foul to recent falls, with the latter first suffering a slip at Roland Garros that tore the meniscus in his right knee.
And whilst the former’s was not quite as severe, he still had to retire in the third set of his Queen’s opener against Rinky Hijikata.
For many tennis fans, the absence of either of these stars would mark a huge dent in the tournament’s quality, and we patiently await confirmation of their fitness.
However, they have all but confirmed their status at the event with what they did together on Wednesday.
Frances Tiafoe and Novak Djokovic practise together
The latest on their collaboration came via one report, which actually stated that the two had come together to play a practice set ahead of Wimbledon next week.
As two players returning from injury, it made sense to test out their respective ailments against another who understands and sympathises with the recovery process.
However, there were many to choose from, given how many star names have been injured in the run-up to Wimbledon.
It is hard not to read too much into pre-tournament practice sets, given the unpredictability of the results that are often had. But on this occasion, there were no real surprises for fans to marvel at, with Djokovic reportedly winning the mini-clash against Tiafoe.
The two now have just a few days left to make a judgement call on their fitness, seeking how they feel after this tester.
When will Novak Djokovic retire?
Whilst it is impossible to predict, Novak Djokovic did offer a retirement hint for what felt like the first time ever.
After all, his 2024 has not really gone to plan, but last year quitting tennis seemed unthinkable. Especially after the 37-year-old had just won three of the four Grand Slams as well as the end-of-year finals, losing in the final of Wimbledon to miss out on winning the lot.
However, failing to threaten in both Grand Slams this year, and yet to win a title, it feels like Djokovic’s success, and his legacy as the greatest ever, rests heavily on this summer.
Thriving at both Wimbledon and the Olympics, he could match Roger Federer’s record of eight titles at the SW19 event before adding the only title, an Olympic gold medal, to his trophy cabinet.
He will likely only consider retirement once he has completed one, or both of these feats.
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