London (TIP)- With a heavily strapped right knee, Novak Djokovic competed in and reached the final of Wimbledon last year. This was just a few weeks after he underwent surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus. He played on one fit leg and still managed to get through to the final without much of a challenge. Then came the straight-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz. In many ways, that run to the final at Wimbledon, the most prestigious of all the Grand Slams, gives an indicator of how the tournament could shape up this year in the men’s singles event. In Alcaraz and Djokovic, there are, arguably, only two players wholly comfortable with the nuances of playing on grass.
With the ball staying low and zipping through on the bounce, playing at Wimbledon just weeks after the high-bounce-and-slow-ball clay season ends is considered one of the most difficult transitions in the sport. But it is in this turnaround where Djokovic may find his best – and possibly last – shot at winning a 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic is all that remains of the golden era of men’s tennis. But at the French Open earlier this month, he gave a first great indicator that the end is probably near for him too.
As he walked off Court Philippe-Chatrier after a semi-final defeat against Jannik Sinner, Djokovic paused, acknowledged the crowd and touched the red clay surface before walking out. He later mentioned that “it could have been the last match” he ever played at the Parisian major. If that was indeed the last time, he left as the greatest Grand Slam player in the Open Era.