“The question everyone is asking: after your injury at Roland Garros, how are you?
After my injury at Roland Garros, I made the decision very quickly to have surgery, because I had big doubts about my participation at Wimbledon. I had long conversations with some athletes who had experienced very similar situations, like Taylor Fritz who had also been injured at Roland Garros and who had played 21 days after his first round at Wimbledon. I also spoke to Stan Wawrinka or Lindsey Vonn, who all shared their experiences. It really gave me faith and optimism that if the rehabilitation was done well, and if of course the knee reacted well – which is something very unpredictable – there would be a good chance that I would be at Wimbledon. So I arrived here on Sunday and spent a week training. A very good week of training.
I have had very intense tennis sessions in the last three days with Jannik Sinner, Frances Tiafoe, Daniil Medvedev and Emil Ruusuvuori, and today (Saturday) with Holger Rune. There have been many situations on the court where the knee has been put to the maximum test, and it has responded very well so far. I still have a few days ahead of me since I play on Tuesday. Obviously once the tournament starts, I will have more sensations and more information on how the knee reacts to a best-of-five Grand Slam match. So far, everything that has been done has been very positive.
“I didn’t come here to play a few rounds. I really want to aim for the title”
Can you explain why it was so important for you to come back so quickly, given that the Olympics are coming up and there’s the US Open where you’re the defending champion. There’s a risk, right?
My wife asked me the same question. Which is normal. At 37, maybe you want to take fewer risks and prepare for the Olympics. But I don’t want to miss a Grand Slam while I can still play at this level. I would simply say that it is an incredible desire to play, to compete. Especially since it’s Wimbledon, the tournament that always made me dream of when I was a child. The idea of missing Wimbledon was not acceptable.
I think also I wanted to see how quickly I could really recover from that injury that I had for the first time, and if I could really be in a condition to compete in the best of five sets, with the best. As I said a few days ago, I didn’t come here to play a few rounds. I really want to go for the title. To summarize, it is less about a rational and logical explanation, and more about an inner feeling and a great desire to play Wimbledon.
“I’m going to give it my all. That’s how I’ve played my whole career.”
Do you think you might have to be a little more careful than usual in the first few rounds?
Not necessarily. Once I step on the court, it’s about winning the match. I don’t see myself holding back. I don’t see myself calculating or being a little more careful in my travels. I’m going to give it my all. That’s how I’ve played my whole career.
Carlos Alcaraz said he told you you were a superman because of the way you recovered. Do you consider yourself a superman?
Not really (smile). I think Taylor Fritz is superman. He recovered in 21 days. I had a little more… Three weeks is perhaps not ideal in the eyes of doctors and specialists who would normally tell you that you need between three and six weeks. But it is also a question of the individual. It’s very subjective. Everyone reacts differently to healing, to injury, to rehabilitation, to exercises. If I had had a day (during my recovery) where my knee had flared up and I had swelling or inflammation, of course I would have slowed down, and my Wimbledon would have been in question. But that didn’t happen. »
