Serena Williams' 'epic' Wimbledon return an inspiration 'for millions around the world' - Novak Djokovic
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Published 27/06/2026 at 18:22 GMT+1
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Novak Djokovic has described Serena Williams' return to Wimbledon as both "inspirational" and "epic", claiming that the American great appears to be training harder now than she did at the height of her career as she prepares for a remarkable comeback.
Djokovic 'better prepared' for Wimbledon than Roland-Garros
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The 44-year-old Williams, who has won seven Wimbledon singles titles and 23 Grand Slam crowns, is set to contest her first singles match in four years when she takes on Australia's Maya Joint on Tuesday.
Williams will also feature in the doubles alongside her sister, Venus Williams, 46, having returned to the sport with a doubles appearance at Queen's Club earlier this month.
Djokovic, who opens his Wimbledon campaign against China's Wu Yibing on Monday as he chases a record 25th Grand Slam title and an eighth Wimbledon crown, said Williams' commitment to returning to the game's biggest stage has earned widespread admiration.
Following his practice session on Saturday, Djokovic told reporters: "First and foremost, what she's doing is very inspirational and it's epic, and that's what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story and Venus' as well.
"For her to come back after years of being absent from the tour, two children later, and to give so much effort - not just for her own satisfaction of coming back on the tour but also to give all of us a pleasure of seeing her back on the court in singles as well as doubles - is remarkable.
"I told her that whatever happens, what she's doing is really truly inspirational for me personally, and I'm sure for millions around the world."
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'I got tired of sitting at home!' - Williams on tennis return after triumphant comeback
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The American has not competed in singles since the 2022 US Open, where a third-round defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic was widely regarded as the final chapter of her extraordinary career.
Instead, her reappearance at the All England Club has become one of the defining storylines of this year's Championships.
"I see her in the gym more than I have seen her when she was in her prime," Djokovic added. "It tells me that she really wants this to work out the best way possible and the effort she's putting in is admirable.
"Of course, all eyes are on her and her comeback. I just hope that she will enjoy it because she really deserves it. She created something historical, legendary in her career, and she deserves every applause she's going to get."
'I've been planning to peak at Wimbledon'
By the time Djokovic stepped onto Court Philippe-Chatrier for the third round of this year's Roland-Garros to face rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca, the Serbian stood as the last former Grand Slam champion left in the men's singles draw.
With many of his biggest rivals already eliminated, optimism grew that Djokovic could seize a 25th major title in Paris but his campaign came to a dramatic end in one of the matches of the tournament.
After almost five hours of enthralling tennis, Djokovic surrendered a two-set lead as Fonseca produced a fearless comeback to prevail 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5 and book his place in the last 16.
The victory etched Fonseca's name into the history books. At 19, he became the first teenager since Michael Chang's triumph over Ivan Lendl in 1989 to recover from two sets down and defeat a former men's singles champion at the French Open.
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Djokovic has since had time to process the disappointment of that defeat, though he has been measured rather than critical in his assessment of the result.
The Serbian said his body had reached its limit during the gruelling contest, even vomiting beside the umpire's chair as the physical toll became apparent.
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'I don't care' - Djokovic shuts down Sinner, Alcaraz question after loss
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Yet if history has shown anything, it is that writing off Djokovic is rarely wise. Now 39, the seven-time Wimbledon champion returns to the grass at SW19 with every chance of mounting another deep run and reminding the tennis world why he remains one of the sport's greatest competitors.
”I think it is different in terms of just the overall physical state," Djokovic said when asked to reflect on his current fitness.
"I think I'm better prepared here than I was for Roland-Garros and playing on grass compared to clay, you don't need to exert as much physical effort, so that's better for me.
"I always love playing on grass and I have historically always had very good results at Wimbledon. That gives me a greater dose of confidence coming into the tournament. Roland-Garros was very physical, draining and demanding.
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Djokovic says he 'ran out of gas' against 'lights-out' Fonseca
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"Three matches that I played, all of them lasted around four hours - but, I'm proud of the effort. I lost in the third round against an opponent who is 20 years younger and fought until the end in five sets, in over four hours that we played.
"Of course, it was not the result I was looking for but the effort was there and I've been planning to peak at Wimbledon.
"After the injury and the issues with my shoulder that kept me away from the tour for several months, I knew that having not played many official matches and going pretty much straight into Roland-Garros was going to be quite difficult.
"It was maybe too big of a challenge for me at that moment, and that's what happened. But, I knew that was going to give me a bit more time to get myself prepared for Wimbledon.
"So, hopefully, I'll have a good tournament here."
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