Novak Djokovic is expected to make his return to Roland Garros this summer. Forced to forfeit before his quarter-final against Casper Ruud almost two weeks ago at Porte d’Auteuil, the Serbian suffered a torn medial meniscus in his right knee.
Operated on June 6, the world number three should return to the capital to compete in his fifth Olympic Games, if his physical condition allows him, his qualification for Paris 2024 being officially validated.
“Novak Djokovic (3rd in the world) and Dusan Lajovic (56th) meet the conditions relating to the ATP ranking and have confirmed their participation” in the Olympics, the Serbian Olympic Committee indicated this Tuesday in a press release.
The record holder for the number of Grand Slam titles (24), was injured on June 3, a problem which did not prevent him from winning at the end of a marathon of more than four hours against the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo, using a high dose of anti-inflammatories. But he was then forced to withdraw from the rest of the tournament.
“The Olympics, a priority for me”
Djokovic, whose reluctance to any surgical intervention is known, finally immediately decided to undergo an arthroscopy in a Parisian clinic the next day. A classic intervention which took place successfully, with the hope of being operational for the Paris meeting, where he aims to win a gold medal, the only trophy missing from his list of achievements.
“The Paris Olympic Games are very important, they have always been a priority for me,” he said in April before the clay court tournament in Monte Carlo.
Currently in full rehabilitation, the native of Belgrade is doing everything possible to participate in Wimbledon (July 1-14), where he won seven times and was a finalist last year.
