By June 2021, Novak Djokovic had won the Australian Open and French Open to put him in pursuit of what became his third Grand Slam title of the year at Wimbledon.
A year on, Djokovic is no longer world number one and facing the prospect of an appearance at Wimbledon potentially being his last chance of a major win in 2022.
That is unlikely to dent the steely Serbian’s confidence as he looks to continue a superb run at SW19.
Is Djokovic going to defend his title? What does his schedule look like? Here’s the latest.
Is Novak Djokovic playing at Wimbledon 2022?
Djokovic, the 2021 winner, looks likely to be announced as the top seed ahead of the start of Wimbledon 2022.
After missing the Australian Open through his much-publicised COVID-19 vaccine saga, Djokovic was knocked out of the French Open by champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
That is likely to have left him desperate to succeed at Wimbledon, where he is always a star draw even if his popularity in England does not equal that of Nadal or Roger Federer.
With the United States reportedly unwilling to drop its requirement for entrants to the country to be vaccinated against Covid, Djokovic is at risk of not being able to travel to the US Open this autumn — making it all the more important for him to compete at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic’s next match
Should he take part at Wimbledon, Djokovic will return to action on either Monday, June 27 or Tuesday, June 28, when the first-round matches take place.
This page will be updated once the official Wimbledon schedule has been released, with details on Djokovic’s participation, next opponent and expected start time.
Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon record
Djokovic has been the dominant men’s singles player at Wimbledon over the past decade, winning the title on six of the 10 occasions when the tournament has been held since 2011.
Now 35, Djokovic first appeared shortly after his 18th birthday in 2005, reaching the third round on a run that put him in the top 100 of the rankings for the first time.
Semifinal appearances followed in 2007 and 2010, leading to his first triumph, beating Nadal in four sets in the 2011 final.
Djokovic lost in the 2013 final as Andy Murray became the first British winner since 1936, but that defeat prefaced two successive titles for the Belgrade-born great, beating Federer both times.
Since 2018, Djokovic has won every edition of the tournament, including a five-set victory over Federer in 2019 that went to 25 games in the final set.
A first-round win at Wimbledon 2022 would be Djokovic’s 80th overall at the singles tournament. The odds-on favourite with bookmakers could also derail Nadal’s bid for the calendar Grand Slam after the Spaniard secured the first two majors of 2022.
