'I like to respect the rules' - Novak Djokovic reflects on not following Wimbledon's all-white rule with a grey sleeve

Novak Djokovic aims to equal Roger Federer’s record for most men’s singles titles at Wimbledon.

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic caught the limelight for wearing a grey sleeve on his right knee during his opening-round fixture against Vit Kopriva at Wimbledon 2024.

The Serb withdrew from the 2024 French Open quarterfinals due to a meniscus tear in his right knee. He underwent a surgical procedure for the tear, and he fully recovered and returned to Wimbledon after only three weeks. Nevertheless, since the surgery, Novak Djokovic has been wearing a grey-colored sleeve on his right knee, which underwent the procedure.

However, wearing any other color than white is against the rules at the Wimbledon Championships. As per the guidelines, tennis players are only allowed to wear white clothes at the tournament; however, the brand’s logos can be in a different color, but they are required to be small.

Thus, after the match, the Serbian tennis star was asked about the grey-colored sleeve on his right leg. In response to the question, he stated that the Wimbledon Championships have allowed him to wear the sleeve for the first match. However, he will try to get a white one for his second-round fixture.

Novak Djokovic said (via ATP Tour), “I know it’s not ideal. I like to go all white and I like to respect the rules. But I got the permission. I said to them that I would give our best for next match the white one.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion recorded a comfortable straight-sets win over the Czech Republic’s Vit Kopriva in the first round of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. In the next round, he will face Great Britain’s Jacob Fearnley on Thursday at the Centre Court.

ALSO READ: Novak Djokovic equals Roger Federer’s record for most second round men’s singles appearances at Wimbledon

The Serb would be looking forward to recording his 20th win of the year, his current win/loss record on the tour is 19-6. However, Djokovic hasn’t played a final in 2024. At the Australian Open, he was eliminated in the semi-final by Jannik Sinner. He then lost to Luca Nardi in the third round of the Indian Wells Masters.

Casper Ruud stunned Djokovic in the semi-final of the Monte Carlo Masters, while Alejandro Tabilo handed the Serbian tennis star a shocking defeat in the third round of the Italian Open. He also entered the ATP 250 Geneva Open, where he was eliminated by Tomas Machac in the semifinals.

He retired from the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, and he’s currently in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships.

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