‘I Was Wrong’ – Andy Roddick Surrenders to Novak Djokovic Supremacy After Being Proven Wrong at Wimbledon

When the world is against you, the only thing you need to do is prove them wrong. That’s precisely what Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has done at the All-England Club. Coming into the tournament, many questioned whether Djokovic could regain his form after recent setbacks. But as always, he let his racquet do the talking. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is once again on the brink of winning another Slam title, defying all odds and silencing the skeptics who doubted his recovery. Among the doubters-turned-admirers is former American tennis star Andy Roddick.

Participating in the July 11 episode of Served with Roddick, the former tennis pro joined his cohost Jon Wertheim to deliberate on a wide range of topics including Novak Djokovic’s speedy recovery and his run to the semifinals. He seemed to backtrack from his previous statements when he did not just count Djokovic out of Wimbledon, but the entire season as well. He defended his opinion by asserting everyone’s entitlement to their own views. “Let that settle in. You can have your opinions, you can not like certain things, you can question certain things, you might like someone else more…” 

Speaking in the interaction, Roddick said, “I didn’t have him in this tennis tournament. I didn’t think he was going to be able to recover from knee surgery at 37 years old in time to play Wimbledon much less not have to be a drag on the rest of the year…” Further establishing Djokovic’s resilience, the 2003 US Open winner admitted, “I was wrong!” Now, this comes as a major surprise for the tennis community provided the earlier statements that Roddick made about Nole.

Earlier in June, the American seemed to count the Serb out of the entire season following his injury. “Let’s get healthy for next year,” Andy had said. For the unversed, Djokovic suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during the fourth-round clash in the five-setter match against Francis Cerundolo at Roland Garros. He underwent surgery in early June after withdrawing from the French Open. Many including the doctors had then predicted that it would be close to impossible for the 37-year-old to return to the courts anytime soon. 

Roddick had also accepted this fact and highlighted that if Djokovic makes a forced return, he might have to withdraw early again putting his entire career at risk. “Do you want to risk that when you know you’re kind of at the tail of end of your career, all that to say it doesn’t look good?” Despite the negative opinions he faced, the tennis legend is just focusing on one goal at Wimbledon.

‘That’s why I am here…’ When Djokovic made his Wimbledon goals clear

While Djokovic was expected to withdraw from Wimbledon as well, he was soon seen hitting the courts and practicing for the tournament. The Serbian tennis star was surrounded by journalists when he finished training for Wimbledon and made it clear that he would play in the tournament.

This led one journalist to question if he aspires to win the tournament again, especially after the injury-led return. Responding to this, Djokovic gave a positive reply. “Of course, I mean, that’s why I’m here. I didn’t come here to play a few rounds. I still don’t plan to retire and have my last Wimbledon this year.”

With the Serb reaching the semi-finals already, it is indeed clearer that he wasn’t just here to win a few rounds. As the tournament progresses, it will be interesting to see if he can win more to equate to Roger Federer’s Grand Slam record on Grass.