The 20-time Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic only performed his mandatory task at the start of the grass classic in Wimbledon with some difficulty.
The 20-time Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic only performed his mandatory task at the start of the grass classic in Wimbledon with some difficulty.
The number one seeded Serb defeated the South Korean Kwon Soon Woo in the first round after 2:27 hours 6:3, 3:6, 6:3, 6:4. The defending champion was still far from top form, especially in the first two sets against number 81 in the world.
Djokovic is the first professional to have at least 80 wins in all four Grand Slam tournaments. “Now that I’m 80 – let’s get to 100,” he said to the cheers of the fans. “This sport has given me everything, I love it with all my heart.”
Seventh Wimbledon title the goal
Djokovic is aiming for his seventh Wimbledon title. He is number one in the world rankings because Daniil Medvedev is missing after the exclusion of Russian professionals because of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, as is the injured Alexander Zverev.
According to the current status, the tournament is Djokovic’s last chance for a Grand Slam title this year. The 35-year-old does not want to be vaccinated against the corona virus even if the entry ban to the USA continues and would therefore also forego the US Open. Djokovic confirmed on Saturday that he had ruled out vaccination for himself. With a few exceptions, vaccination against the corona virus is still a prerequisite for entering the country in the USA. Djokovic was expelled from the country shortly before the start of the Australian Open at the beginning of the year due to the lack of vaccination and was therefore unable to defend his title in Melbourne.
