Taylor Fritz has admitted claiming the scalp of Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon is a major part of his ‘fairytale’ dream at SW19. The seven-time champion is the joint-most successful men’s player at the tournament alongside Roger Federer.
But his participation in the 2024 edition is under serious doubt due to the knee injury he suffered at the French Open earlier this month. The 37-year-old remains the best player in the world, and the opportunity to defeat him on tennis’ greatest stage is an achievement American tennis star Taylor Fritz is hoping to secure.
The 26-year-old is set to make his eighth consecutive Wimbledon appearance this year, with his best performance at SW19 coming in 2022 when he reached the quarter-finals, only to be denied a spot in the final four after a dramatic five-set loss to Rafael Nadal.
In a video filmed for the ATP Tour, the California native admitted what his Wimbledon fairytale would look like. And while victory in south London would be sweet for the Fritz, he has another ambition, too.
Fritz admitted that beating Djokovic on the grass would be up there alongside winning the whole thing. “Fairytale story… Hopefully me! I mean obviously to win. If I beat Novak for the first time somewhere in there, I think that’s probably fairytale stuff,” he said in the video when asked to name a potential fairytale story.
A potential match-up against the Serb looks unlikely after he tore his knee meniscus during his five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo at Roland Garros. While Djokovic underwent surgery earlier this week, an early prognosis on his return to fitness said he needs three weeks to recover with Wimbledon commencing on July 1st.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner took to Instagram last week to confirm his ambitions for a swift return to the court and the opportunity to become the all-time leader in Wimbledon Championship victory.
He wrote: “I’m going to do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible. My love for this sport is strong and the desire to compete at the highest level is what keeps me going”.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk