It is complete nonsense, according to 1973 French Open finalist Nikola Pilic, for Novak Djokovic to have staged a knee injury. He also notes that it was clear that one of the Serb’s left knee was “softer than the other.”
Djokovic discovered that he had torn his meniscus in his knee after suffering a few painful stumbles on Roland Garros’ clay during his French Open round-of-16 match against Francisco Cerundolo. Upon learning of the findings, the 37-year-old Serbian withdrew from his French Open quarterfinal and underwent surgery to mend the damage.
When Djokovic returned to Wimbledon 25 days later, he advanced to the championship match before Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in three sets. After swiftly switching to clay courts, Djokovic went back to Roland Garros and defeated Alcaraz in the Paris Olympics final to win his maiden Olympic gold medal.
While some were amazed by what Djokovic had accomplished in the weeks following his surgery, others were less impressed and began to conjecture about various conspiracies and the veracity of the Serb’s statements.
But 84-year-old Pilic, who trained Djokovic when he was younger, is certain of what actually transpired.
Indeed. There was no doubt about his issues at Roland Garros. For instance, I could tell that one of the legs was not as supple as the other. Luckily, he was surrounded in Paris by all the doctors he trusts. After that, he had this surgery, and his knee recovered greatly. He is undoubtedly moving a little more slowly than usual, but he could not have continued without this minor procedure. To get fit again, Novak exercised on this leg from dawn to night. I’m thrilled that he took home the gold because of this, Pilic told Tennis Magazin.
Nikolaus Pilic
If Pilic was taken aback by Djokovic’s victory
Even though Djokovic was obviously not playing his best tennis at Wimbledon, he was still able to get to the championship match. However, when it came time for him to face Alcaraz, the Serb was unable to defeat the Spaniard at his peak performance, which led to his three-set defeat.
Some believed that Djokovic would have little chance if they faced off again at the Paris Olympics because the Spaniard was coming off back-to-back Slam victories and the Serb was having a difficult year had lost the Wimbledon with ease. And it did, albeit the result wasn’t what many had anticipated. Djokovic prevailed 7-6 (3) 7-6 (2).
When asked if he was taken aback, Pilic replied, “Not really.”
“No, I was one of the few people who said that Novak had a strong chance of winning gold when I was interviewed by some Serbian media prior to the final. Assuming he settled into a sixth gear and got his rhythm. No one had mentioned that previously. According to most media, Alcaraz would just need to comply formally. Additionally, Alcaraz won the Wimbledon final 6:2, 6:2, and 7:6 because Novak performed horribly in that match. On the other hand, Alcaraz played exceptionally well. I am the only one who truly knows Novak. I thought he had a strong chance. He knew that was his last shot, which is why he had such an amazing attitude,” Pilic said.
Djokovic Novak
Pilic on the differences between Djokovic and Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Some began saying that Sinner and Alcaraz were now the players to beat when Sinner defeated Djokovic to win the Australian Open this year and went on to unseat the Serb as the best-ranked player in the world. In response, Pilic praised the calibre of the two youthful superstars while highlighting Djokovic’s record 24-time Grand Slam victory and his impressive CV.
“Carlos is the most talented person of his generation and a very developed talent. Although I feel a lot of compassion for Jannik Sinner, Carlos is just a better player in my opinion. He plays amazing tennis and is quite active. However, Novak, the seasoned expert, is just of a different calibre. He’s won five times as World Sportsman of the Year, and I don’t mean to seem biassed here,” Pilic said.
“That was determined by impartial panels; it is not my own opinion. That is really unique and speaks for itself. In a year or two, Sinner, Alcaraz, and others will undoubtedly dominate the younger generation. By then, Novak will be 39 years old, and things won’t be the same as they were when he was 29.”
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz
Following his Olympic victory, Djokovic made the decision to miss the Masters tournaments in Cincinnati and Montreal. He will now travel directly to the US Open without any prior training.
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