Djokovic to Play Paris Olympics

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Novak Djokovic aims to turn a season of struggle into a golden year.

The Serbian Olympic Committee announced today Djokovic will play next month’s Paris Olympic Games—if he’s recovered from knee surgery in time for the Games.

Watch: Federer’s Dartmouth Commencement Speech Goes Viral 

Team Serbia announced both Djokovic and Dusan Lajovic intend to play the Paris Olympic Games tennis event, set for July 27-August 4th.

🎾 #TeamSerbia za #Paris2024 je dobio nove predstavnike i sada broji 9️⃣6️⃣ članova 💪🏻

Teniseri Novak Đoković i Dušan Lajović ispunili su uslove po ATP renkingu i potvrdili svoj nastup na Olimpijskim igrama 🇷🇸#JedanTimIstiCilj #ZaSrbiju pic.twitter.com/muTabO6wY8

— Team Serbia (@OKSrbije) June 18, 2024

The 37-year-old Serbian superstar Djokovic underwent arthroscopic surgery two weeks ago in Paris to repair the medial meniscus in his right knee.

Wimbledon is set for July 1-14th.

It is unlikely Djokovic will recover from surgery in time to play the grass-court Grand Slam, however his surgeon suggested it is possible the world No. 3 could recover in time for the Olympic Games.

The Dr. Antoine Gerometta told French publication L’Equipe the Grand Slam king likely won’t be 100 percent in time for Wimbledon, which starts July 1st. 

“We can dream and say that everything will go very fast,” Dr. Gerometta told L’Equipe. “But during the 45 minutes we were with Novak, his team and Vincent Guillard, doctor of the French Tennis Federation, I was very clear in saying that everything depended on the reaction of his knee.

“By gradually increasing the load, we will see if it stays without inflammation or pain. We will have to see how it evolves day by day, but it is impossible to predict what the state will be in a week or fifteen days. That it will be 100% in three weeks’ time seems unlikely.”

An Olympic gold medal is about the only significant trophy missing from Djokovic’s esteemed collection. Djokovic lost the bronze-medal match to Pablo Carreno Busta at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Juan Martin del Potro scored his second straight Olylmpic victory over Djokovic.