The Parisian crowd was seen depicting an unusual aura during Novak Djokovic‘s quarter-final showdown. While the Serb is generally seen indulging in feuds with the Frenchmen, he makes everyone switch their perspectives and bow down to his dominance. However, besides the massive support, the spectators also appeared to be tensed as the tennis great struggled with uneasiness in his knee.

Djokovic recently managed to move one step closer to his first Olympic gold medal. The Serb showcased appreciable levels of action, eventually securing a hard-fought win against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday. Although the first set came quite easy to him (6-3), it was the second one (7-6) that aroused a concerning situation for Djokovic, who recently recovered from a meniscus tear.

After the match, Djokovic expressed worries about his knee. “I am very worried, honestly, I don’t know what to say. I finished the match, and the intense pain went away. Whether I hit myself or slipped, I don’t even know,” he said.

Reflecting on a previous injury, the Serb added, “It all resembled the 4th round of Roland Garros where I managed to finish the match, and then I found out I was injured. I am pleased with the victory, but I am worried.” The 37-year-old, who had surgery on the same knee in June, was seen limping in pain during the second set. The situation came to such a scary extent that he even had to call for the physio twice, first at 0-3 and then again at 1-4.

Although Djokovic’s determination on the court was commendable, his latest injury scare has cast doubt on his journey towards the first-ever Olympic gold. Amid the concerning situation, there was a moment when the Serb explained that his comeback post-surgery was well-timed and not early.

When Novak Djokovic explained how his comeback wasn’t “premature“

Djokovic recently made it to the final of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships after undergoing knee surgery. While there were many who raised concerns that his quick return was “premature” and “reckless,” he strictly dismissed these claims. In a press conference during the grass-court major, he explained that his focus during rehab was solely on making a comeback.

“I was really focused on trying to make Wimbledon happen for me this year and I was not reckless on any day,” Djokovic said. He explained that he followed his rehab plan properly, saying, “I followed every single day everything that they said that I have to do. I did even more than that.”

Djokovic acknowledged why some might think his return was too soon but helped them with a clearer perspective. “Everything that we’ve done in the process of 20+ days has been giving us a positive indication and signal. So I understand why people were thinking it’s premature, it’s maybe reckless. But I don’t think it was,” he stated.

Even though the fans were convinced by his confident statement, the recent scare at Roland Garros has once again raised doubts about a full recovery. Moving ahead to the semi-finals, his form will be under scrutiny.