Novak Djokovic's knee injury has Andy Roddick guessing if the Serb will end his 2024 season prematurely to prepare himself for 2025. Djokovic suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee while playing against Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round of the 2024 French Open.
He felt the discomfort in his knee during the second set but continued with the injury to win 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 against the Argentine and set up a meeting with Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. However, the 37-year-old withdrew from the tournament a day before the match, claiming his knee needed a surgical correction.
The World No. 1 later announced on social media that he had a successful operation but didn't specify the date of his return.
Andy Roddick shared his reaction to the development in a recent episode of the Served with Andy Roddick podcast. He expressed his apprehensions about Djokovic's presence at Wimbledon, scheduled from July 1 to July 14.
"A torn meniscus in your knee is not a massive thing when you are 24, 25, 26 years old, but this is the worst possible time because it's the shortest turnaround time between Slams," the former World No. 1 said (at 5:08).
Roddick continued:
"If he pulls out in two weeks, then it's bad and I think that puts the US Open in jeopardy, do you just call a wrap on this year and say 'Hey listen I'm really going to try to go really healthy, really big for one more season', but he doesn’t have to pull out."
"Novak Djokovic needs his wheels" - Andy Roddick on Serb's success based on his defense
Andy Roddick also noted that only recovering quickly won't help Novak Djokovic's chances in the next tournament he plays, as the Serb would need practice hours to face his colleagues.
"It's not just, 'Okay! My knee is okay, good enough to play in a month', you have to train, you have to put in yards," Roddick said.
The American emphasized on the Serb needing healthy legs on the court as the latter's success has always been based on his defensive game.
"Especially Novak… your special sauce is being able to grind people down, stay in rallies, switch directions, and ask the question over and over again. Novak needs his wheels. He needs his defensive skills, probably the best defensive player in the history of tennis, and defense, you rely on your legs," Roddick added.
Djokovic notably has 1,200 ranking points to defend at Wimbledon from his last year's finish as the runner-up.
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