Novak Djokovic was uncertain about his chances of winning Wimbledon, given that the tournament began less than a month after his surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
“I was just thinking about moving well and not injuring myself,” Djokovic admitted. However, after navigating his initial matches at the All England Club, his confidence grew. “OK, I’m actually playing close to my best, and I can have a shot at the title,” he thought.
Now, Djokovic is just one victory away from securing his eighth Wimbledon championship, which would tie Roger Federer’s record for the most by a man, and a 25th Grand Slam trophy overall, the highest in tennis history. His final challenge will be defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, in a rematch of last year’s final. The match is set for Sunday, with Kate, the Princess of Wales, making a rare public appearance following her cancer diagnosis.
“History is on the line,” Djokovic remarked, acknowledging the significant milestones within reach. While it’s a tremendous source of motivation, there’s also a lot of pressure and expectation attached. At 37, competing against 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches. And people expect me to win, whatever, 99% of the matches that I play.”
Many doubted his chances after he injured his knee at the French Open on June 3, withdrew from his quarterfinal the following day, and underwent surgery on June 5 in Paris. Even Djokovic was unsure of his participation until just days before the Wimbledon draw in late June.
Alcaraz had noted Djokovic’s resilience, saying, “He comes back stronger and he comes back quickly.” Ahead of Wimbledon, Alcaraz even called Djokovic “superhuman” for managing such a swift return to action.
Djokovic found some reassurance from American Taylor Fritz, who had a similar injury and returned to compete at Wimbledon three weeks later. Fritz shared his experience, telling Djokovic, “You’ll be surprised how good you feel, so quickly. It’s painful and uncomfortable, but you can play through it.”
And play through it Djokovic did. By the time he defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the semifinals on Friday, he was pain-free and moving well, albeit with a gray sleeve on his knee.
Despite a subpar season where he hadn’t won a title or reached a final until now, Djokovic’s focus is on Sunday. He aims to prevent Alcaraz from claiming his fourth Slam title.
“I am aware of how playing against Djokovic will feel. I know what I have to do,” said Alcaraz, who overcame Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals. “I’m sure he knows what he has to do to beat me.”
Alcaraz, only 21, boasts a 3-0 record in major finals, including beating Djokovic in a five-set match at Wimbledon last year, as well as triumphs at the U.S. Open in 2022 and the French Open last month.
“He’s a very all-around player, very complete. Impressive what he has done at such a young age. I think we’re all very much in agreement that he will win a lot of Slams over his career,” Djokovic remarked on Friday night. “Let’s see, hopefully he’ll give me this one in two days. After that, I’ll cheer for him.”
