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 Olympics and Andy Murray playing in the aftermath of a back operation, there is definitely change in the air in south-west London.
Germany's world No 4 Alexander Zverev on Saturday predicted this year's Wimbledon will be the "most open in 20 years".
The likelihood is that for the first time since 2002, the men's final on July 14 will not feature at least one of the 'Big Four' who have swept up 19 of the last 20 titles.
Alcaraz, at 21 and 16 years Djokovic's junior, is already a three-time major winner.
He captured the US Open in 2022 while still a teenager, defeated Djokovic in a five-set final at Wimbledon in 2023 before seeing off Zverev in another five setter at the French Open in June.
Alcaraz, who opens Centre Court action on Monday against 262nd-ranked Mark Lajal of Estonia, has a chance to complete a rare French Open-Wimbledon double in the same season.
"I know that it's going to be a really difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I'm ready to do it," said the Spaniard.
Sinner, 22, made the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year and celebrated his first grass-court title at Halle this month.
The top-seeded Italian has racked up four titles in 2024, losing just three of 41 matches. He faces Germany's Yannick Hanfmann in his Monday opener.
Wimbledon will also bid an emotional farewell to two-time champion Murray.
Murray, 37, who famously ended Britain's 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men's champion with his 2013 victory, plans to bow out at the Olympics.
He is due to face 38th-ranked Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic on Tuesday but whether or not he makes it on court is still in doubt.
Now ranked at 115 in the world, Murray has undergone surgery to remove a cyst on his spine.
Already playing with a metal hip, the former world No 1 damaged ankle ligaments against Machac in Miami in April in another brutal indication of the physical setbacks endured by the sport's marquee names.
"It's complicated, and it's made more complicated because I want to play at Wimbledon one more time," said Murray before the draw was made.
"I would say it's probably more likely that I'm not able to play singles right now."
He is, however, set to play doubles alongside brother Jamie.
In the women's event, world No 1 Iga Swiatek, fresh from a fourth French Open title and fifth Grand Slam title, arrives on a 19-match win streak.
The 23-year-old Pole's best run at Wimbledon was a quarter-final spot in 2023.
Swiatek faces 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round.
US Open champion and world No 2 Coco Gauff, made her breakthrough at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old qualifier in 2019 when she made the last 16.
She also pushed through to the fourth round in 2021 but has a point to prove after a first-round exit to American compatriot Kenin in 2023.
Gauff starts against compatriot Caroline Dolehide, ranked 52.
Third-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and a semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2021 and 2023, said she is still not "100% certain" of playing.
The Belarusian is due to face 106th-ranked Emina Bektas of the United States on Monday but a shoulder injury which forced her retirement at the Berlin grass-court tournament last week has not healed.
When asked if she will withdraw from the tournament, she said: "There's always a chance".
Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded player to win the women's title 12 months ago but history is not on her side if she is optimistic of a repeat.
Serena Williams, in 2016, was the last woman to successfully defend the title.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
