Novak Djokovic 'won't hold back' as he bids to win eighth Wimbledon crown

Novak Djokovic said his knee has responded so well to surgery that he considers himself a contender to win an eighth Wimbledon crown.

The Serb underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee less than a month ago, raising doubts over whether he would even make the draw for the grasscourt championships.

But Djokovic, winner of a record 24 Grand Slams, said he is confident the knee will hold up throughout the two-week tournament, that gets underway Monday, that he will not change his all-out approach.

“I don’t see myself holding back. I don’t see myself calculating or being a bit more cautious in the movement. I don’t see that happening,” Djokovic said at a pre-tournament news conference.

"Really, I go all in. I go full out. I mean, that’s the way I’ve been playing my entire career."

The Serb, 37, is poised to mount a one-man battle to preserve the legacy of Wimbledon's golden generation in the face of an increasingly successful new wave spearheaded by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic lost last year's final to Spaniard Alcaraz and was .succeeded as Australian Open champion by Sinner with the Italian also taking his world No 1 ranking.

Djokovic then saw his French Open crown pass to Alcaraz after he limped out of Paris with the knee injury that forced him to undergo surgery.

If Djokovic equals Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles, he would become the oldest champion of the modern era.

"I have this incredible desire to play, just to compete," said Djokovic who will take on 123rd-ranked Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic in his opener on Tuesday.

"Just the thought of missing Wimbledon was not correct."

With Federer now retired, Rafael Nadal skipping the tournament to focus on the Paris