Novak Djokovic has revealed he is ‘very worried’ about a potential knee injury ruining his Olympics. The Serb defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in his quarter-final in Paris but experienced issues with his right knee.
Djokovic admitted that the pain felt similar to when he tore his meniscus at the French Open earlier this summer. Back then, the 37-year-old underwent an operation in an attempt to fix the problem and only just returned in time to play Wimbledon.
He has worn a sleeve over his knee ever since but says he felt a “sharp pain” midway through the second set against Tsitsipas. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is concerned about the injury ahead of his semi-final.
“I am very worried, to be honest. I don’t know what to say. The pain was very strong for two games after it happened. I don’t know if I slipped or what happened,” Djokovic said.
“It resembled Roland Garros, where I managed to close out the match, only to find out that the injury was serious. I pray to God for everything to be OK.”
Djokovic insists he will ignore advice from his medical team and will step out on court for his semi-final at Roland Garros.
He continued: “Even if he says it’s not okay, I’ll probably get on the court and give it a try. These are very rare chances, to fight for a medal for my country, so I’m going to do everything possible in the next 24 hours to put myself in a position to fight for a medal for Serbia.”
Djokovic staged a remarkable comeback in the second set after comfortably winning the first 6-3. He was 3-0 down when he was visited on court by the trainer to assess his injury, before receiving anti-inflammatory pills from a doctor while 4-1 down.
The medicine worked, with Djokovic winning a second-set tiebreak to book his place in a semi-final tie against Lorenzo Musetti. “But that effect is going to fade away tomorrow morning,” Djokovic conceded. “So I will have probably a more realistic picture tomorrow and hope for the best.”
Djokovic has met semi-final opponent Musetti in his last two Grand Slams. He defeated the Italian at the same stage at Wimbledon earlier this month, but was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
The Serb also faced Musetti in a lengthy French Open clash which ended just beyond 3am. That match was a gruelling five-set battle.
