Former ATP player and former doubles world no. 1, Paul McNamee, doesn't think that Novak Djokovic will prioritize the Olympics over Wimbledon this year.
The Serbian has won plenty of Wimbledon trophies, but he's never won a gold medal at the Olympics. It's one of the few things he's never achieved in tennis, and it remains a regret for him.
Winning gold for his country is at the top of his priorities this year, so many assumed that he would prioritize that over competing at Wimbledon, especially in light of his recent surgery.
Wimbledon is played on grass courts while the Olympic Games will be played on clay, complicating things further, as they are only weeks apart, but former player Paul McNamee doesn't think that the 24-time major champion will put Wimbledon to the side.
After all, it's Wimbledon, the most prestigious trophy a player can win in tennis, so for him, it's nonsense that Djokovic would skip that, especially if he can win his 8th Wimbledon trophy, equalling Roger Federer's record for most trophies at SW19.
"For those speculating on Djokovic’s priorities, and claiming he puts winning an Olympics gold above an 8th Wimbledon, I beg to differ. In our sport, the Grand Slams matter the most… always have, always will."
McNamee might be right. In general, Grand Slams tend to matter most because they're the achievements that are compared the most often. Still, Djokovic may make an exception because of his recent meniscus injury, which required surgery.
He's going to be on a tight schedule for Wimbledon, and recovering in time for that will be a bit difficult. Even if he recovers in time, he won't enter the event in the best of rhythm, without any preparation, and likely still not confident in his body.
Therefore, there is a minor chance that he may skip over the major event and take his time to properly prepare for the Olympics. It's hard to imagine a player skipping over Wimbledon, especially with his record there, but these are unfamiliar waters for Djokovic, both with the surgery and his season overall.
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