Novak Djokovic looks with a mischievous smile at the moderator, on whom, this time, additional responsibility falls. She has the million-dollar question on her lips: How is Novak Djokovic really doing, that “superhuman” (as Carlos Alcaraz describes him) who only 25 days ago was undergoing surgery for meniscus surgery in Paris and who now, as if nothing would have happened, miraculous, extremely complicated from a medical perspective, are you about to jump onto the green to compete in this Wimbledon that is about to take off?
– I’m fine and you? [risas].
– GOOD [más risas].
– Bring…
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Novak Djokovic looks with a mischievous smile at the moderator, on whom, this time, additional responsibility falls. She has the million-dollar question on her lips: How is Novak Djokovic really doing, that “superhuman” (as Carlos Alcaraz describes him) who only 25 days ago was undergoing surgery for meniscus surgery in Paris and who now, as if nothing would have happened, miraculous, extremely complicated from a medical perspective, are you about to jump onto the green to compete in this Wimbledon that is about to take off?
– I’m fine and you? [risas].
– GOOD [más risas].
—So, let’s go directly to my knee. Let’s save everyone the time of the question…
The Serbian, all-time record holder, speaks with good humor after an extraordinary race against time in which, until now, he has prevailed over all logic. There is the reference of Taylor Fritz, capable three years ago of reappearing just three weeks after undergoing the scalpel to repair the same injury; However, the American was then 23 years younger, 14 years younger than the Balkan is today. A gifted physicist.
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“The truth is that the recovery time he has had is amazing,” Alcaraz told reporters. “In just three and a half weeks, he is already playing sets and points at a very, very high level, but he usually recovers quickly in general. We all know what he does off the court to be 100%: he eats, rests and does everything perfectly so that he can be there and perform at his best. So in a way it surprises me, but on the other hand, not so much,” said the Murcian, who mentions the number one, Jannik Sinner, and Nole himself as the main candidates for the title. Nobody knows where the Belgrade native, capable of anything, can come from. Also of the most unlikely.
With the exception of Alcaraz, no rival was able to stop him after 2017. So as soon as he underwent surgery, Djokovic picked up the phone and gathered information. He consulted athletes like Stan Wawrinka, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lindsay Vonn and put it directly into the day-to-day work. “I had a lot of doubts about whether I could get here or not, but I gained a lot of faith and a lot of optimism because if the rehabilitation is done correctly, and as long as the knee responds, there were possibilities,” he says. So throughout the last week he was raising the level and gaining consistency in training.
Without holding back
“I tested my knee almost to the maximum, changing directions,” said the 24-time Grand Slam champion. “And so far it has responded very well. That is why I decided to be here. I still have a couple more days. [debutará el martes, contra el 123º del mundo, Vit Kopriva] and I trust that everything will go well; Then, once the tournament has started, I will have more feelings about how he reacts, but until today everything has been very positive and my physical condition, in general, is really good,” continues the Serbian, unable to resist a double temptation, The formula is too irresistible: the eternal dream of Wimbledon and the libido of competition, the driving force of the majestic work.
“My wife also asked me about it, and it’s normal; You are 37 years old and maybe you want to take fewer risks to get to the Olympics [a partir del 26 de julio]… But I have the feeling of not missing any Grand Slam as long as I can play, as long as I continue playing and am at this level,” he says. “I wouldn’t say it’s fear of missing out, but rather an incredible desire to play and compete. Especially here. I always dreamed of playing the big tournaments, but particularly Wimbledon; There may not be a rational or logical explanation, but that’s the way it is. The mere thought of being able to miss it was no longer right.”
Djokovic rests during a training session at Aorangi Park.Matthew Childs (REUTERS)
The dates are flying by and the youngsters are gaining momentum. He has not added a single trophy to his showcase this season. His physical condition is suffering. And yet Djokovic believes. “It is the first time in my life that I have suffered a knee injury like this, but I think I am truly capable of competing in the best of five sets and against the best in the world on grass. I have not come here to play a few rounds and prove that I can play, but I really want the title. I have invested a lot of hours in recovery and I have not had any setbacks, so why not give it a try?”
The surgeon who operated on him in Paris, Antoine Gerometta, warned in an interview with L’Èquipe in the middle of the month that Djokovic would not reach one hundred percent. Likewise, he praised the exceptionality of an athlete who has resisted the erosion of injuries like few others after almost two decades in the elite. “Superhuman? Not really. It is Taylor Fritz, who recovered in 21 days,” he jokes. “Maybe it’s not ideal. [regresar ya] in the eyes of doctors, because they say that normally it should be done for three to six weeks; six if you don’t want to risk too much and give your knee time. But it is something subjective, an individual matter. “Everyone has a different response to recovery,” he emphasizes before concluding: “I don’t see myself holding back when it comes to moving. I don’t see myself calculating or being more cautious. Really, I’m going for it.”
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2024-06-30 03:15:00
#green #spell #incentive #Djokovics #miracle #Tennis #Sports
