After Ugly Altercation With Novak Djokovic Fans, Andy Roddick Adds a New Twist to His Wimbledon Chances

Novak Djokovic‘s dicey situation amid the start of Wimbledon is creating discussion. The fans recently received a positive update as the Serb reportedly landed in London to start his preparations. While it clearly shows his determination to be a part of the upcoming major event, a reassuring prediction on the Serb’s potential has come up from Andy Roddick.

Former American tennis pro Andy Roddick recently expressed his firm belief in Novak Djokovic’s grip on grass courts. In a recent episode of the Tennis Channel Love podcast, he revealed his true feelings for the Serb, naming him as the top pick for the upcoming event. “I still say when healthy, Novak is the best grass court player in the world,” Roddick stated.

“I don’t think he gets talked about enough. We kinda like to put people on stylos where it’s like Novak hard Rafa clay Roger grass but Novak’s one behind Roger as far as Wimbledon titles,” he said, explaining how the world has been relying on general beliefs.

Well, before Andy Roddick, last year, Rick Macci also addressed Djokovic as the “greatest grass court player of all time.” As he further explained, Djokovic’s prowess on grass courts hinges significantly on his movement. While many emphasize the importance of serve, volley and slice on this surface, “for Djokovic it’s all about how well he moves around the court” and mental resilience that stands out. His affinity for grass goes beyond mere preference; he genuinely thrives on it.

However, coming back to Roddick, he acknowledged the obvious fact that Djokovic’s injury could impact his chances at Wimbledon this year. He added, “We don’t know health is a big issue because of that you’re probably putting Sinner or Alcaraz right there as co-favorites for this title before this week, Alcaraz probably the favorite.”

On that note, a few days back on June 6, in his podcast’s episode ‘Roddick Previews Roland Garros Semi-Finalists and Djokovic Knee Injury’, Roddick expressed his concerns about Djokovic’s health condition as he believed “A torn meniscus in your knee is not a massive thing when you are 24, 25, 26, but the timing of this sucks.” At that time Roddick faced a lot of backlash from Djoker fans as he suggested – “I’d say grass is his best surface right now and the worst surface for the guys he’s going against…he could just put a wrap on this season and have one final push next year. Let’s get healthy for next year.”

However, as soon as the 37-year-old showed a positive sign of recovery, Roddick discarded his previous predictions, giving out hopes for Djokovic’s abilities on the green surface. Djokovic’s recent knee injury forced him to withdraw from the 2024 French Open. The injury occurred during an intense five-set match against Francisco Cerundolo. Although the Serb managed to secure a win, he still had to call off because of the excessive pain. An MRI later revealed that it was nothing usual but a torn meniscus.

While the injury has added doubts about Djokovic’s fitness for the upcoming event, Roddick remains confident in Djokovic’s potential with full health. However, this isn’t the first time when a player found himself in such a situation but ended up on a positive note.

Taylor Fritz guides Novak Djokovic for a quick recovery process

American ATP star Taylor Fritz has his own experience with a torn meniscus. The incident surely tends to offer hope for Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon chances. Fritz tore his meniscus during the 2021 French Open but recovered in time to compete at Wimbledon. While motivation is something that the Serb requires now besides rest and proper care, the American mentioned how he offered him tips on the recovery process.

“I told him what it was like for me,” Fritz said. “A lot of it comes down to the inflammation and how you react. … You pretty much have your full strength immediately. It’s more just the inflammation from the surgery. As long as you can get that down and start playing without it puffing up again, you’re actually going to be fine to play.”

Fritz’s statement drops an assurance that Djokovic has a high chance of recovering in time for Wimbledon 2024, even after going through the knee surgery. While the Serb has already stepped out of his comfort zone to train, a test still remains ahead of his participation.