Novak Djokovic: Why 20-time Grand Slam champion is out to dispel doubts at Wimbledon with Rafael Nadal in mix

If there’s one thing Rafael Nadal has taught us this year it’s to never, ever, ever write him off again. That is now set in stone after Nadal confounded expectations by winning the Australian Open following five months out, then won the French Open just a few weeks after grimacing and hobbling in Rome.

Now he’s on course for the Calendar Slam for the first time in his career, and has to be marked as a serious contender to win Wimbledon for the first time since 2010, however unlikely that seemed a few weeks ago. Ad/> But if Nadal has proven that he should never be counted out again, what we have learnt about Novak Djokovic? /> ATP Santa PonsaBautista Agut stuns Medvedev to reach Mallorca Championships semi-finals12 HOURS AGO This time last year, Djokovic was approaching Wimbledon on top of the world, his second French Open title in his pocket, and dreams of emulating Steffi Graf by becoming only the second player in history to win the Golden Slam.

Djokovic looked unbeatable, and he was at SW19 as he only dropped two sets – in the first round and the final – on his way to a 20th Grand Slam title. Who would have predicted then that Djokovic would not win any of the next three majors? But we have learnt that even for one of the greatest of all time, a disrupted and depleted schedule (due to his unwillingness to be vaccinated) makes it much harder to stay at the top of the game.

And in the case of Djokovic, his severely reduced playing time this year hasn’t just impacted him physically, but also mentally. “It did take a toll on me,” he acknowledged recently.