Alexander Zverev may have been missing something when he declared Wimbledon as the “most open Championships that we’ve had in 20 years”. Last year, Carlos Alcaraz became the first man other than Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray to win the Wimbledon title since 2002, a victory that signalled the start of a new era. But Djokovic, the man Alcaraz described as “superhuman” after returning from knee surgery in just three weeks, is still here. From looking out of Wimbledon, his recovery from a torn meniscus defies belief.
A shot at a record eighth title remains alive thanks to a surgeon hailed by Djokovic as his “MVP”. When the 37-year-old withdrew from his French Open quarter-final after slipping on the Paris clay, his chances of being fit for Wimbledon appeared slim. He was given a timescale of three to six weeks after undergoing surgery. Wimbledon just made the cut.
