There has been plenty of debate around Novak Djokovic’s decision not to play a warm-up event ahead of Wimbledon and now it has emerged the 24-time Grand Slam champion has lined up an intriguing practice partner at the All England Club.
Djokovic’s decision to pull out of the Hurlingham exhibition event in London sparked some concerns over the fitness of the seven-time Wimbledon champion, who has not played a competitive match since he lost against Joao Fonseca in a thrilling match in the opening week of the French Open at Roland Garros.
His decision not to play a warm-up event should not be viewed as a surprise, as Djokovic has rarely played a pre-Wimbledon grass court event over the course of his career.
Yet his move to skip the exhibition left some questions over whether he was still nursing the injury he spoke about before and after his defeat against Fonseca in Paris.
Now it has emerged that Djokovic will be on court in what should be a highly competitive practice session, as he will be hitting with defending Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner at the All England Club on Thursday.
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Djokovic and Sinner will take to the court after world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and her top 10 rival Jessica Pegula practice together on the second biggest court at Wimbledon.
At the age of 39, Djokovic would need to defy the sands of time to win what would be a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title, but former British No.1 Greg Rusedski has talked up his hopes of creating more tennis history.
While Rusedski suggests Sinner is the big favourite to retain his Wimbledon title, he believes Djokovic is a huge contender.
“He’s my second pick for the title,” declared Rusedski, in an exclusive extract from his latest podcast on Tennis365.
“We compare him to Serena Williams because he’s been playing all year and he’s still a full-time professional. Let’s not forget he beat Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open in January. Nobody thought he was going to win that match.
“And then against Alcaraz, he got off to a brilliant start in the final, but then Alcaraz just put the accelerator on.
“Now he’s only got to be one of the big two. With Alcaraz out, Djokovic has to think this is my best chance to win number 25.
“And if Djokovic gets to 25, it’s almost as impressive as (Rafael) Nadal’s 14 Roland Garros titles. A number that has never been hit before. I mean, that would be truly remarkable.
“Novak on grass, he doesn’t need warm-ups. He got enough tennis in Paris. He’s playing well enough. And for me, he might even be joint favorite because of the heat that we know can affect Sinner.
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“Djokovic is definitely one of the best grass court players on the planet. Seven Wimbledon titles, trying to tie Roger Federal with eight. Don’t discount Djokovic.”
Djokovic has been in London for a few days training in the heat ahead of his latest Wimbledon challenge and it might just be his last if he crashes out of the tournament early.
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