Novak Djokovic has admitted his body “isn’t the same as it was before” after suffering a worrying fall at the end of his quarter-final match against Flavio Cobolli. The No. 6 seed slipped at the back of the court on match point as his opponent and the umpire rushed to check on him.
He quickly recovered and went on to seal a 6-7(6) 6-2 7-5 6-4 victory. But the 38-year-old is waiting to see how he responds physically ahead of his semi-final showdown with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner as he hunts a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic laughed off the fall during his on-court interview and admitted he was surprised it hadn’t happened sooner. “I finished the match,” he remarked.
“I didn’t fall so far this year, it’s surprising because of the way I move on grass, very aggressive, you expect to fall and to have these situations.”
However, the seven-time Wimbledon champion sounded more wary in his post-match press conference and admitted he would have to wait and see how he held up.
Djokovic said: “In terms of the fall, it was a nasty fall. It was very awkward. That happens on the grass. I’ve had quite a few of those throughout my grass court career.
“Obviously, body is not the same today like it was before, so I guess the real impact or effect of what happened I will feel tomorrow. So let’s see.
“I’m hoping the next 24, 48 hours that the severity of what was happening on the court and what happened is not too bad, that I’ll be able to play at my best and free of pain in two days.”
Djokovic will need to be pain-free if he wants to get past Sinner in Friday’s semi-final. The pair played at the same stage of the recent French Open, and the Italian won in three close sets.
The world No. 6 has openly admitted that Wimbledon may be his best chance to beat the top young guys like Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to win a milestone 25th Major title, and it’s still on his mind.
“Of course, it is motivation. It’s a given,” he said of potentially winning a quarter-century of Grand Slam trophies.
“In a sense, for me to feel the significance of the moment, we don’t even need to talk about it. Of course, I am aware of getting myself in a position to play semis against the best player in the world.”
But the 38-year-old has full faith in his team to help him prepare to face the world’s best players.
He added: “I have about 10 people in my team daily working on every single aspect of my on-court, off-court career and preparation and recovery. Sometimes I get tired of all the chores that I have to do on a daily basis to get my body ready to be able to perform. It’s a lot of hours, a lot of hours spent off the court, in the gym, or on the table just trying to work with what I have.
“Look, I’m very satisfied as a 38-year-old to be able to move the way I’m doing, that I’m moving right now and playing, so…
“It is and it has always been my greatest goal to do well in Slams. I’m, again, in another great position. Let’s see. Sinner and Alcaraz, we know they’re the dominant force right now in the tennis. If I want to at least go step further, I have to beat the No. 1 in the world and eventually play Alcaraz in the final.
“Physically I hope that I’ll be able to sustain that. That’s more of a concern than a game-wise. I think game-wise the way I’m feeling the ball when I’m fit and ready, I feel like I can go toe to toe with those guys and even beat them if I’m playing my best.”
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