After his first round at Wimbledon, Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for a record-equalling eighth title, expressed happiness with his on-court movement following successful knee surgery.
Djokovic comfortably defeated Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to kick off his title ambitions in style on Tuesday. Despite the injury sustained during the French Open and subsequent knee surgery affecting his preparations, the 37-year-old showed no signs of discomfort as he swiftly dispatched Kopriva in under two hours, breaking his opponent’s serve twice.
The 27-year-old Kopriva, who has limited experience playing professionally on grass, struggled against Djokovic’s consistency and expertise. Djokovic made just 16 unforced errors across three sets and won 90 percent of points behind his first serve.
After the win, Djokovic was quoted by Wimbledon’s official website, saying, “That was very good. I did not know how everything would unfold. I am extremely pleased with how it felt.”
“I have done everything in the last three-and-a-half weeks to give myself a chance to play here. For any other tournament, I would not have risked it or rushed it. I just love Wimbledon. I love being here.”
Djokovic also noted his good fortune in avoiding major injuries and expressed sympathy for rival and British tennis great Andy Murray, who withdrew from singles competition at Wimbledon due to back issues.
“I have been fortunate compared to others, avoiding major injuries. I empathize with anyone feeling that helplessness when something is not allowing you to come back to what you love the most,” said Djokovic.
“Andy Murray withdrawing today was a great blow. Great respect for him for all he has done for this sport. I just hope he will be able to finish his career on his terms. I sent him my best, and to anyone else out there really struggling with injuries,” he concluded.
In other notable games, Andrey Rublev fumbled his perfect first-round record at Wimbledon with a loss to Argentinian Francisco Cerúndolo by 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(5), while Alexander Zverev defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to move into round two.