Djokovic underestimated before Wimbledon opening match

ACCORDING to former world number one tennis player Mats Wilander, Carlos Alcaraz is the number one candidate for this year's Wimbledon title, ahead of Novak Djokovic.

*Djokovic - Kopriva: around 9pm today, July 2, Hanoi time.

Wilander believes Alcaraz's five-set win over Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon final proved he has fully adapted to grass - a surface that was not the Spaniard's forte early in his career.

"Alcaraz didn't need to play much to win Roland Garros, which is another testament to how good he is," Wilander added. According to the former Swede, Alcaraz will be competing fiercely with Jannik Sinner, who reached the semi-finals last year and won the warm-up tournament in Halle last month.

"In the future, it will be difficult to determine whether Alcaraz or Sinner is the favorite in the Grand Slams," Wilander said. "I think if they are completely healthy, no one will be rated higher than them."

Speaking of Djokovic , Wilander said the Serbian is still highly regarded but is no longer invincible. Nole has gone seven months without a trophy, not even reaching the final. He has also just suffered a knee injury and is unlikely to be 100% fit for Wimbledon. In the first round, Djokovic will meet world No. 123 Vit Kopriva, in the second match on Centre Court today.

Djokovic practices before his Wimbledon opening match, at the All England Club, on July 1. Photo: Reuters

"Apart from his fitness, there's also the question of Djokovic's motivation," Wilander added. "He's still hungry, but is that hunger as great as it was before he got ahead in Grand Slams? I doubt it."

Alcaraz is in the easy draw at Wimbledon this year. He defeated qualifier Mark Lajal 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the first round on July 1. The highest seed Alcaraz could face in the fourth round is No. 16 Ugo Humbert. The next highest seed after Alcaraz in the semifinals is Casper Ruud. The Norwegian has reached the finals of the French and US Opens, but has never advanced beyond the second round of Wimbledon.

Alcaraz could face Sinner in the semi-finals, as he did at Roland Garros last month. Sinner just needed four sets to beat Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round. His draw is relatively difficult as Sinner faces 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the second round, not to mention the semi-finalists include former world number one Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic is in the same draw as Karen Khachanov and Holger Rune. If he reaches the semi-finals, the 37-year-old could face Alexander Zverev or Andrey Rublev.

Djokovic asks Ibrahimovic for help in recovery
Novak Djokovic said he has taken advice from many sports stars, including striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to recover from injury as quickly as possible.

Djokovic continued his impressive recovery from knee surgery three weeks ago by beating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 in an exhibition match at Hurlingham on June 29. The Serbian said the test match was a success as he no longer felt pain.

"I had a week of training and playing against the best players and I'm completely satisfied," Djokovic said. "The doctor who has been following me for the past three weeks is here. I've asked many players who have had similar surgeries, like Taylor Fritz, Stan Wawrinka, Lindsey Vonn and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. They all shared useful information that helped me recover."

Djokovic (right) and Ibrahimovic at the ATP Finals event in Turin in 2021. Photo: ATP

Playing against Djokovic and feeling helpless, Medvedev admitted that his senior did not look like he had surgery. He said: "Nole looked very good. You don't know what's going on inside him but today he moved impressively. Five-set matches on Wimbledon grass are never easy and I don't know what will happen to him, but this is a good sign."

Djokovic underwent surgery on June 5, a day after withdrawing from the Roland Garros quarter-finals with knee pain. He underwent surgery on his meniscus, but sources said it was not a serious tear. Doctors initially said he would not be fit for Wimbledon, but the 37-year-old has been training hard to return earlier than expected. However, it remains to be seen whether Djokovic will be 100% fit.

"I like the feeling of playing, I like great challenges like Wimbledon," Djokovic added. "I'm still wearing a bandage on my knee, but everything is going well. I've had three stressful weeks. Now I want to see how far I can go this year."

In the Wimbledon draw, Djokovic avoided both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz until the final. He was in the semi-final with fourth seed Alexander Zverev and sixth seed Andrey Rublev. Before that, the 24-time Grand Slam champion could face Holger Rune in the fourth round and seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. In his opening match, Djokovic will face qualifier Vit Kopriva, who is currently ranked outside the ATP top 100.

The first round of Wimbledon 2024 begins at 5pm on Monday, July 1, Hanoi time. Alcaraz will face 21-year-old Mark Lajal, while Sinner will face 33-year-old Yannick Hanfmann.