“I said before the tournament that if I didn’t think I had a chance of going deep in the tournament I probably wouldn’t be playing” – Novak Djokovic. Every obstacle becomes a simple stepping stone in the face of true determination, and the Serb personifies it. He went through knee surgery in June and, despite worries, returned to Wimbledon in July. Rewarded by the walkover of Alex de Minaur in the QF, it took the 37-year-old tennis star just 37 days to make that possible. Now, he’s going to play his 37th final! The return was not possible by his lonesome, with Taylor Fritz being a major support.

Fritz wasn’t too surprised with his quick recovery though. He previously mentioned that he got in touch with the Djoker to tell him what it was like for him when he went through a similar situation in 2021. Although he couldn’t reach the final of the grass slam, he managed to play a few rounds. Last month, Djokovic revealed he sought advice from Fritz for a quick recovery and mentioned he was the “first person” to whom he had reached out about this issue. Then again, after reaching the finals, he didn’t forget to thank the American!

“I keep on mentioning him but let’s not forget Taylor Fritz you know. He was in this same situation and he had even less days than I had. He came back after 21 days exactly after his surgery and played three rounds in Wimbledon,” said Novak Djokovic. In fact, Fritz had to play two four-setters and one five-setter after his return, which the Serb thinks is quite exceptional.

He further added, “For me, it was really encouraging knowing that there was already someone like him who has been through pretty much the same situation. He was kind enough to share his journey and this gave me even more confidence that I can make it.” Now, he has not only made it but nailed it like he always does! How does he look ahead at the path that lies ahead of him right now?

“I try not to take it for granted” – Novak Djokovic is hungry to clinch his first title of the season

This is Novak Djokovic’s 10th Wimbledon final, and if he wins this title on Sunday, he’ll draw level with Roger Federer on a record eight Wimbledon trophies. Furthermore, if he wins the title at SW19, he’ll become the oldest champion in the history of the tournament. Reflecting more on the journey, the Serb admitted, “It has been an incredible journey, so I try not to take it for granted. I don’t want to stop here—hopefully, I’ll get my hands on that trophy on Sunday.” It’s time for a replay of last year’s final, but can Djokovic take his revenge this time?

“Every time I step out on the court now, even though I’m 37 and competing with the 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win, whatever, 99 percent of the matches that I play,” said the Serb. He said this tournament is pretty special to him and Wimbledon has always been his “childhood dream.”

To fulfill his dream, he had to even knock doors of athletes like Stan Wawrinka, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Lindsay Vonn just to ask them to share their experiences of their recovery process. Inspiring determination, but can their advice help him create history?