Did Novak Djokovic Run Off Wimbledon Court To Go Number 2 During Win Over Rune?
There were plenty of questions surrounding Novak Djokovic at this year's Wimbledon tournament. Most of them centered around his right knee.
Djokovic underwent surgery after tearing his meniscus during the French Open. He had to withdraw from the tournament after beating Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round.
Djokovic played through pain to win that match, but ultimately had to call it quits after an MRI determined the extent of the injury.
Most people assumed he wouldn't have time to recover for Wimbledon, given that the surgery was performed less than a month before the start of the tournament.
Novak Djokovic appeared to be having stomach issues during his Round of 16 match against Holger Rune at Wimbledon.
(Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Djokovic is the type of athlete that has always taken excellent care of his body. So, even at age 37, the Serbian star managed to recover in time to participate in arguably the most famous tennis tournament in history.
And, quite frankly, he showed very few ill-effects from the injury during his run to the Round of 16. Djokovic managed to win his first three matches to set up a Round of 16 battle against Denmark's Holger Rune.
Once again, the Serbian came out firing. Djokovic broke Rune in the Dane's first service game to cruise to an easy first-set victory. The second set was a bit more of a struggle, but not just because of his opponent.
It appeared that Djokovic began suffering some stomach issues during the second frame. He was seen grabbing at his midsection several times. Then, during a changeover, Djokovic sprinted off the court toward the locker rooms.
The speculation from the ESPN broadcast team was pretty clear: Djokovic needed to go to the bathroom. Badly.
Because of the denial by the umpire, Djokovic had only 90 seconds to return to the court after sprinting off, presumably to use the restroom.
Apparently, that quick break was enough for the world's #2-ranked tennis player. He went on to win the second set, 6-4.
The third set provided no drama and Djokovic easily advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals, where he is set to face Australia's Alex De Minaur.
It's quite impressive to see Djokovic recover from knee surgery quickly enough to not only play Wimbledon, but play well. Keep in mind, he had no preparation on grass surfaces thanks to needing to use his time healing.
There's a reason Novak Djokovic is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all-time. Not even an emergency trip to the bathroom could stop him Monday.