Novak Djokovic clearly mentioned that he was “waiting for this for almost 20 years” after reaching the finals in Paris. The Serb, despite the injury concerns, took down notable rivals like Alexander Zverev and Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets, dropping perfect examples of his dominance. But is it possible that he used up all of his strength in the last two showdowns? Clips from his practice sessions have raised serious concerns about his knee situation.
Felix Auger Aliassime wasn’t lucky enough to take down Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. However, the Canadian still has a chance to improve his state and, therefore, go home with a bronze medal. Before his upcoming showdown against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, he was seen indulging in a practice session with Novak Djokovic, who aims to complete his revenge against Carlos Alcaraz.
An active journalist shared a video that featured the Serb’s current physical form. “Light hitting, no points, mostly focusing on serve,” he captioned the post, pointing at the technical aspects of the Serb’s performance. As seen in the video, Djokovic appears to be completely out of his form. While he generally stays active and covers the court from behind the baseline, he was more often seen making attempts to just pass the ball away from the net.
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Djokovic at practice with Felix right now pic.twitter.com/dnFGogsfA6
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) August 3, 2024
All of this started during the quarter-final showdown, in which the Serb posed a challenge against Alexander Zverev. Although the Serb took him down in two sets, he walked out of the court with pain and major concerns about his knee.
“I’m hoping that’s not the case this time. I don’t know. I’m honestly concerned, but I’m going to let the medical team evaluate the knee and do an examination. Tomorrow night I think I’m playing a night match at seven, so I have some time to recover and get ready. Hopefully I’ll be able to be physically fit for the semis,” he told the reporters ahead of his victory.
Djokovic’s “dream” match is just a few hours away from him. While his practice sessions have added a new layer of concerns, it remains to be seen if he will be able to overcome the challenge, with major odds against him. However, despite the worries surrounding his knee, the Serb came forward to pre-announce his victory with sheer confidence.
Novak Djokovic hypes up Serbia with a medal-incoming update
Novak Djokovic showed signs of a massive comeback with a commendable victory over Lorenzo Musetti. Just hours after locking his spot in the finals, the Serb felt confident and therefore dropped a surprising update for his 14.9 million-wide, enormous family on Instagram.
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Djokovic posted three pictures with a wide smile on his face. Clicked on the glorious Phillipe Chatrier court, the images featured his moments of celebration post-semi-final victory, along with one in which he can be seen interacting with one of the fans.
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What surprised the fans was his caption which included an optimistic message regarding his gold medal match scheduled to be played on Sunday. “This dream is long lived and fought for. I wanted to compete in the finals of Olympic games for such a long time. Representing my country at a global event is a huge privilege and honor that I cherish. Serbia will have a medal on Sunday!!! Ideeeemooooooo,” the Serb wrote, clearing the air regarding his injured knee.
Although he has been in touch with the doctors regarding the persistent uneasiness, his high confidence levels add a completely dissimilar dynamic to the men’s singles final at the Paris Olympics.