WATCH: Novak Djokovic jokes about Daniil Medvedev 'testing' his knee after losing thrilling rally during exhibition match ahead of Wimbledon 2024
Novak Djokovic joked about Daniil Medvedev putting his knee to the "test" after losing an intense rally against him in an exhibition match ahead up to the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. The Serb will be aiming to win his first title of the season at the grass-court Major.
Djokovic, who lost the Wimbledon final 6-1, 6-7(8), 1-6, 6-3, 4-6 to Carlos Alcaraz last year, will be looking to secure his 25th Grand Slam singles title as well as aim to tie Roger Federer's record of eight titles at the London Major. Seeded second, the Serb will kick off his campaign by facing Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva in the first round.
Meanwhile, Medvedev, who reached the semifinals at SW19 last year before falling to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz, will start his campaign at the grasscourt Major by taking on American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round.
On Friday, June 28, prior to commencement of their Wimbledon campaigns, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev competed in an exhibition match at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic. The match was won by the 24-time Grand Slam champion 6-3, 6-4.
During the match, Medvedev won an intense rally which prompted Novak Djokovic to jokingly comment that the World No.5 was testing his knee. Before this exhibition match, the Serb had undergone a knee surgery after tearing the medial meniscus in his right knee at the 2024 French Open.
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Novak Djokovic on competing at Wimbledon after knee injury: "I wouldn't be here without the permission of the doctors"
Speaking to the press following a training session at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Novak Djokovic talked about the progress of his knee post-surgery and stated that it was doing well.
The Serb said that participating in the grasscourt Major had always been part of his plan and that his rehabilitation was progressing gradually in the right direction which is giving him motivation to move forward.
"The plan was to try to play Wimbledon, so that's what I'm doing. That's why I came to train and see how it goes. I can't give many details about the knee, but it's going well. The rehabilitation is going in the right direction every day. Little by little it's getting better. It's what's giving me hope and desire to move forward," Novak Djokovic said.
The former World No.1 also made it clear that his goal at Wimbledon is not just to win a few rounds, but play his full potential without overexerting himself. He revealed that he is competing at SW19 after he received clearance from his doctors.
"I didn't come here to get through a few rounds. I'm not pushing myself to the limit, but I hope that happens in the next few days. I wouldn't be here without the permission of the doctors," he added.
If Djokovic wins his first-round match against Kopriva, he will next take on either Jacob Fearnley or Alejandro Moro Canas.