After weeks of rumors regarding his health, Novak Djokovic will participate in his sixth Olympics.
Next month, the 2024 Paris Olympics will get underway, with the men’s tennis singles competition slated to take place from July 27 to August 4. There will be 64 competitors vying for gold, silver, and bronze medals.
After much anticipation from his supporters, the Serbian Olympic Committee has officially confirmed Djokovic’s attendance in Paris in late July. After quitting the 2024 Roland Garros before his quarterfinal match, the 37-year-old had knee surgery.
During the clay-court swing, Djokovic was nursing a knee injury, but he kept it a secret. He disclosed the severity of the ailment only after aggravating it in his five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo in the French Open fourth round.
It seems improbable that he will participate in an official tennis competition prior to the Olympics. Wimbledon begins on July 1st, and his surgeon thinks he won’t make it. He will hence not increase to his current total of 24 Grand Slams. For at least a year, he will also be denied the opportunity to match Roger Federer’s record of eight titles at the All-England Club.
The one major honor missing from Djokovic’s stellar CV is an Olympic gold medal, and at 37, this is his greatest chance to get one. According to some commentators, his hasty choice to have surgery shows he’s desperate to compete in Paris the following month.
In Beijing 2008, Djokovic took home a bronze medal from the Olympics. When he faced Pablo Carreno Busta for the same prize in Tokyo three years prior, he was defeated. Two Serbian men, including the World No. 3 player, have advanced to the main event of this year. There’s Dusan Lajovic the other.