"I told Novak Djokovic what it was like" - Taylor Fritz reveals Serb reached out to him after knee injury; says Wimbledon return is a possibility

Taylor Fritz recently disclosed that Novak Djokovic reached out to him following his knee surgery earlier this month. The American had suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee in 2021 himself, but he recovered quickly from the setback.

Djokovic, who has failed to win an ATP title in the first five months of the season, endured a difficult campaign at the French Open. During his five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round, the Serb tore the medial meniscus in his right knee. He subsequently withdrew from his quarterfinal outing against Casper Ruud.

Novak Djokovic then underwent surgery on June 6, later revealing to his fans on X that it was successful and he was looking to make his tour return soon.

Taylor Fritz has now commented on the situation. By the American's account, the 24-time Major winner recently asked him about the specifics of the recovery process.

Fritz had suffered the same injury at the 2021 French Open, though it hadn't curtailed his season because of his quick rehabilitation which allowed him to return at Wimbledon a few weeks later.

He told Tennis365:

"I told him what it was like for me. A lot of it comes down to the inflammation and how you react. It’s possible for Novak to play. It’s the exact same thing that I had and I played. Obviously, I wasn’t contending to win a title, I was just showing up to hopefully win a couple of rounds – but it (returning at Wimbledon) is possible."

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Taylor Fritz on Novak Djokovic's recovery prospects: "When I did it I couldn’t even walk, people are different"

Novak Djokovic is currently in a race against time to be fit for Wimbledon. The 37-year-old is also vying for glory at the 2024 Paris Olympics next month. He has resumed his fitness training, which bodes well for his recovery.

Taylor Fritz, meanwhile, stated that each athlete recuperates from injuries differently. The 26-year-old claimed that he struggled to walk in the days following his knee surgery. That said, he conceded that it was possible to play competitively if the inflammation gets resolved during the recovery.

"When I did it I couldn’t even walk. People are different. It’s the same actual injury. It really comes down to the level of inflammation. You pretty much have your full strength immediately," Fritz said.

"It’s more just the inflammation from the surgery. As long as you can get that down and start playing without it puffing up again, you’re actually going to be fine to play."