Novak Djokovic facing grim reality as respected tennis voice makes Wimbledon claim

Novak Djokovic started 2024 as the red-hot favourite to win every Grand Slam title but his days of dominance may now be over, according to respected tennis voice Robbie Koenig.

Djokovic has stated that he hopes to be back on the court “as soon as possible” following knee surgery that forced him to abandon his bid to defend the French Open title before he played his quarter-final against Casper Ruud.

The outgoing world No 1 went under the knife on Wednesday after sustaining a tear in the medial meniscus in his right knee during a gruelling fourth-round win over Francisco Cerundolo at the French Open.

Djokovic withdrew from the tournament following a scan, handing Jannik Sinner the world No 1 ranking from Monday, but gave a positive update on social media on Thursday morning.

Accompanied by a picture of the Serbian on crutches and surrounded by his team, Djokovic wrote: “In the past day, I had to make some tough decisions after sustaining a meniscus tear during my last match.

“I’m still processing it all but I am happy to update you that the surgery went well. I am so appreciative of the team of doctors who have been by my side as well as the overwhelming support I have received from my fans.

“I’m going to do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible. My love for this sport is strong and the desire to compete at the highest level is what keeps me going.”

Now Koenig, who won five ATP Tour doubles titles and the semifinals of the 1998 US Open, has told Tennis365 the 37-year-old ‘very likely’ to miss Wimbledon next month and he fears he could also miss the Olympic Games tennis event that gets underway at the end of July.

Novak Djokovic has ‘reached tipping point’ as Wimbledon fate may be sealed

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365 ahead of the launch of the Curro Centre Court Series, which will bring a new level of top-quality tournaments to South Africa this summer, respected broadcaster Koenig admits he has been stunned by the speed of Djokovic’s fall from grace.

“I had Djokovic down for at least two majors in 2024, but it is amazing how quickly things can change,” Koenig told Tennis365.

“The way Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have emerged, I feel like Wimbledon may be his best shot at winning another major now as those two young guys are so strong on hard courts.

“Who knows, this meniscus problem be the ultimate straw that breaks the camel’s back for Djokovic .”

Koenig went on to suggest the rise of Sinner and Alcaraz may hasten Djokovic’s exit from the sport, with the Serbian legend admitting on several occasions this year that he is struggling for motivation during this phase of his career.

“Sinner and Alcaraz have proved that they can beat him at the biggest tournaments and that didn’t happen with the previous generation of players who tried to take Novak down,” added Koenig. “They are young, they are hungry, they want his scalp.”

Djokovic has yet to confirm if he will try and make a return to play at Wimbledon on July 1, yet that would put his hopes of winning Olympic gold for Serbia in Paris on the line and most experts now expect him to target that event as he looks to complete his collection of title wins and cement his status as the best male player of all-time.

Robbie Koenig spoke to Tennis365 as he welcomed the creation of a new local tennis tournament that forms part of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour. Hosted by Curro Holdings in partnership with Tennis South Africa (TSA), the Curro Centre Court Series will take place at Curro Hillcrest in KwaZulu-Natal.