Djokovic to Play Wimbledon but Only if He Feels He Can Challenge for the Title 

24 June 2024, United Kingdom, London: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st. (dpa)
24 June 2024, United Kingdom, London: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st. (dpa)
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Djokovic to Play Wimbledon but Only if He Feels He Can Challenge for the Title 

24 June 2024, United Kingdom, London: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st. (dpa)
24 June 2024, United Kingdom, London: Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st. (dpa)

Novak Djokovic is encouraged by his progress after undergoing minor knee surgery less than three weeks ago, but the seven-times Wimbledon champion said he will only play in the grasscourt Grand Slam next month if he is able to fight for the title.

The 37-year-old picked up the injury to his right knee during his fourth-round win at the French Open and pulled out of the quarter-finals before having surgery on June 6, putting his Wimbledon and Olympic hopes in jeopardy.

But the Serb, whose Paris Games spot was confirmed earlier this month, posted videos of his return to training on Instagram last week before arriving at the All England Club on Sunday and immediately ramping up his preparations.

"I didn't come here to play a few rounds," Djokovic told the BBC after practice on Monday. "If I know I can play close to my maximum or at maximum, then I'll play. If not, then I'll give somebody else a chance to play.

"Rehab is going in the right direction every single day, a few percent better and better. That's what's giving me hope and encouragement to keep going.

"I'm taking things gradually. I'm not pushing myself yet 100% but I'm hoping that's going to come in the next few days."

The world number two is looking to end his title drought in 2024 after winning three of the four Grand Slams last year, as he hunts for a record-extending 25th major trophy.

His only defeat in the Grand Slams in 2023 came at Wimbledon where he was beaten in five sets by Carlos Alcaraz in the title decider.

Wimbledon runs from July 1-14.



Olympics-Seine Water Pollution Levels Still Well Above Limits One Month Before Games

Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - June 23, 2024 The Eiffel Tower is seen from the water of the Seine River as the Olympics opening ceremony rehearsal is postponed amid rainy weather. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - June 23, 2024 The Eiffel Tower is seen from the water of the Seine River as the Olympics opening ceremony rehearsal is postponed amid rainy weather. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Olympics-Seine Water Pollution Levels Still Well Above Limits One Month Before Games

Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - June 23, 2024 The Eiffel Tower is seen from the water of the Seine River as the Olympics opening ceremony rehearsal is postponed amid rainy weather. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - June 23, 2024 The Eiffel Tower is seen from the water of the Seine River as the Olympics opening ceremony rehearsal is postponed amid rainy weather. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Water pollution levels in Paris' River Seine were still much higher than allowed for bathing, data showed on Friday, one month before the Olympics in which the capital's landmark waterway is meant to be one of the swimming venues.

Updated data published on the city's website showed the concentrations of enterococci and E.coli bacteria remained well above legal thresholds as of Sunday at all four testing points along the river, Reuters reported.

At the Alexandre III bridge, the planned triathlon swimming site, enterococci exceeded a concentration of 1000 colony-forming units (cfu)/100 ml on Sunday, more than double the 400 cfu/100ml limit set by European law. The E.coli concentration was almost four times higher than permitted.

Water pollution levels spike in periods of heavy rain, which in recent weeks have also increased the flow of the river to around six times its seasonal average, Paris's mayoral service said on the website.

The French capital has been working on cleaning up the Seine so people can swim in it again, as was the case during the 1900 Paris Olympics. But a sewer problem last summer led to the cancellation of a pre-Olympics swimming event.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who championed a campaign to clean up the once famously dirty river in time for the Olympics, earlier this month postponed her planned dip in the river, saying it was likely to happen on June 30.