“I’d only have risked my knee for Wimbledon” | Novak Djokovic | First round On-court Interview

Seven-time Wimbledon Champion, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, said Wimbledon was probably the only place that he’d have risked his knee injury, such is his love for The Championships.

The No.2 seed said this during his on-court interview, following his first round win over Czechia’s Vit Kopriva on Centre Court.

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welcome back to competitive tennis welcome back to Wimbledon how was that today uh very good very pleased uh with the way I felt on the court obviously coming into Wimbledon this year uh was a little bit of a different circumstances for me because of the knee I didn’t know how um everything is going to unfold on the court really you know practice sessions are you know quite different than than official match play so I’m just uh extremely glad that the way I felt today the way I played and uh thank you all for for coming out and supporting I think the television cameras had more close-ups of your knee than anything else today I mean how was it and how was how easy was it to to believe in your game without having to to think about it today um well I try to really focus on the game and not really think too much about the knee you know um everything that I could possibly do I’ve done along with my team um in the last three and a half weeks in order to give myself a a chance to be able to to play in front of you here today so I think if if if it was for any other tournament I I probably wouldn’t uh wouldn’t risk it wouldn’t rush it as much I just love wimon love coming back here you expressed that in the leadup to this event was it easy to convince those people around you that this was the place that you had to come back for I mean there was no convincing really uh it was um I think a a mutual a collective strategy and a plan that we set up from the day one uh when I started my rehab um I want to thank my surgeon again for doing a great job uh obviously without him doing his job well things would be a bit complicated um I had one surgery in my in my career was on my elbow about uh seven eight six seven years ago um you know I’ve always tried to do everything to avoid surgery but you know I’ve I’ve been fortunate really uh probably comparing myself to some other 37 year olds in our sport or other sports that uh to to be able to play on a highest level for so many years and and avoid really any major injuries I mean I had injuries like anybody else but uh you know they come and go it’s part of what you do um you just have to accept it embrace it and you know I think Nick kgos is in a commentary box right there um who has been who has been struggling a lot with injuries so talking about the major injuries you know he has had uh quite a few so uh you know as I said I’ve been very fortunate um to to not really to not really be away for from the tennis for so long um you know as an athlete I I empathize with with with Nick and with anybody that is struggling it’s been you know it’s uh it’s tough you know you always feel help almost feel helpless you know at times that some something is you know not allowing you to come back to what what you love the most to what you do and uh you’re unable to do your profession for some time months years so um you know there’s been quite a few examples like Andy Murray obviously today withd drawing which is a a great uh great blow to the tournament um you know it’s unfortunate really great respect to him all he has done to this uh on this tournament in this sport I just I just hope hope he will be able to finish you know his career and his terms um it’s really unfortunate I I I heard he’s going to play doubles um hopefully he’s going to give it another shot next year in singles I’m just uh yeah I just send him send him my best and to anybody really struggling out there with injuries and I I could you know I I I was as I said you know it’s it’s really hard for me to talk about hard injuries I came back after three and a half weeks after the surgery but uh but still you know I think it’s it’s worth acknowledging all these athletes that are struggling spoken like a champion congratulations Novak jovic as ever wonderful words from a wonderful champion