Preparing for Wimbledon –

American tennis player Taylor Fritz has been a key figure in understanding why Novak Djokovic could be competing on July 1 at Wimbledon.

He suffered the same knee injury that currently plagues the Serbian also during Roland Garros, in its 2021 edition, and days later he was able to reach the third round of Wimbledon.

While playing his second round match, Fritz suffered a fall and heard a crack in his knee. He was unable to continue the match and had to leave the court in a wheelchair. It was a meniscus injury, the same as “Nole”, and he had to undergo surgery.

Despite the chilling image, three weeks later he won two matches at Wimbledon. This must be a perfect example for Djokovic, which is why the Serbian decided to write to him.

“He had a very similar situation and after 20 or 21 days after the operation he was playing, three rounds, with four and five set matches. It is possible, he proved it,” said the former world number one to journalists present at the training sessions prior to the start of Wimbledon.

“I told him what it was like for me,” Fritz said in an interview. “The worst part is the inflammation and how you react to it. It’s possible that Novak will play. It’s exactly the same thing that I had and I played. When it happened to me I couldn’t even walk, but everyone is different, even if this is the same injury. You get your strength back very quickly. The most important thing is the inflammation and if you can reduce it and play without it getting inflamed again, you will be able to play.”

The situation of Fritz and Djokovic does differ in the final objective. For the American, being able to play in Wimbledon and get through a few rounds was enough; for the Serbian, anything other than winning the title is a disappointment and almost a setback with the Olympic Games, where he has only one bronze in four appearances, on the horizon.

“I’m not here to go out on court just because it’s Wimbledon and play one or two matches. I’m only going to play if I’m in a position to go far in the tournament and fight for the title,” said the Serbian.

Murray is out

Britain’s Andy Murray will miss what was to be his final Wimbledon after undergoing spinal cord surgery following the injury he sustained at Queen’s.

According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, the Scot will have to take six weeks off, which also complicates his possible presence in Paris for the Olympic Games, which begin on July 26.

Murray had to retire after five games in his second round match at Queen’s against Jordan Thompson, due to a back problem that immobilised his right leg. The player said after the match that he had been dealing with this pain since the clay court swing, but that it had worsened before the match and that he wished “he hadn’t gone on court”.

This injury, his second major one this year after tearing ankle ligaments in March, means Murray will not be able to say goodbye to Wimbledon. Although he has not set a definitive date for his retirement, the tennis player said he does not plan to play beyond the summer, stressing that retiring at Wimbledon or the Olympic Games would be “ideal”.

Andy Murray is a two-time Wimbledon winner, in 2013 and 2016, and the first Briton to win the title since Fred Perry in 1936. He also won the singles gold medal on the same court in London 2012.— EFE