Djokovic Arrives at Wimbledon With No Grass Prep
Novak Djokovic landed in London a week before Wimbledon and chose to build his form through matches at the tournament itself. His full focus is on a record 25th Grand Slam title.
- Djokovic landed in London one week before Wimbledon.
- He skipped the grass tune-up events and will build form at the tournament itself.
- He has not played since his third-round exit at Roland Garros.
- He is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam; Wimbledon runs June 29 to July 12.
The suitcase was already in the London hotel by the time the first photograph surfaced on social media. Djokovic in trainers, cap pulled low, walking through that green quiet only a grass court can produce. No crowd, no stage, no announcement. Just a man back at the place where he feels most at home, a week before the real thing begins.
The news is not that he has arrived. The news is how he is preparing. This summer the Serbian star is not taking the usual route through the grass-court warm-up events. By all indications, form will be built on the move, match by match, at Wimbledon itself. For someone else that would be a gamble. For a player who has lifted the trophy on this court more times than most players manage matches on it, it is a calculated call.
To be precise: it is not yet officially confirmed whether Djokovic will play any grass tune-up match before the tournament starts. In past years he has been known to turn up at exhibition events to find his rhythm, but no such decision has been announced this time. What is known is that he has not played a competitive match since his third-round exit at Roland Garros, and that is a layoff that can show on grass.
How much does skipping grass prep cost?
Grass is the most unpredictable surface in tennis. The ball skids low, points are short, the first serve is worth gold, and everything is settled in a few strokes. A player who has not put in matches on this surface walks into the tournament with the fitness there but the feel for the surface not yet sharpened. Sliding, sudden stops, crouching for balls that bounce unevenly, these are the details the body has to be reminded of.
Djokovic, though, has a luxury others do not. His grass experience lives in his legs, not just his head. So many years on these courts means he can use the first few matches as extended preparation, raise his level gradually and peak by the second weekend. Patrick Mouratoglou, one of the best-known coaches in tennis, already lists him among the main favorites alongside two other top players. That says plenty about how the trade views his chances, atypical preparation or not.
The post-Roland Garros break cuts both ways in this calculation. On one hand, the body is rested and fresh. On the other, competitive rhythm cannot be bought on the practice court; it returns only through real matches under pressure. How that equation looks will become clear in the very first round.
What comes next on the road to title No. 25
The goal is clear and has not changed. A record 25th Grand Slam title is the number hovering over everything the Serbian player is doing these days. Wimbledon has always been his strongest weapon among the four biggest tournaments, the place where his game and this surface fit almost perfectly. If that historic number is to fall anywhere, few venues are more likely than the grass courts of London.
The tournament begins June 29 and runs through July 12. That is nearly two weeks in which form will be built, sharpened and, if all goes to plan, lifted to another peak. The early matches will be the real test, not so much of the opponent as of his own feel for the surface and the rhythm that has been on pause.
Everything is in place, then. He arrived early, chose to gamble on his preparation and put all his focus on a single number. Do you believe Djokovic can overcome the lack of warm-up matches on grass and reach that record title?
