Wimbledon 2022: Novak Djokovic trains hard for 'childhood dream tournament'

Defending champion Novak Djokovic is already working hard at SW19 ahead of the season's third Grand Slam at Wimbledon. The top-seeded Serbian, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, are among the stars who have been spotted training on the hallowed grass.

The 35-year-old hopes to clinch his 7th Wimbledon crown and 21st Grand Slam overall when his title defence campaign begins from June 27 onward. The Serbian has won 21 consecutive matches at the tournament, having emerged victorious at the past three editions of the event.

Also read: Wimbledon 2022: Djokovic top men's seed; could face 2nd seeded Nadal in final

Ahead of the tournament, Djokovic took to Instagram to express his joy at returning to one of his favourite hunting grounds. "Great to be back on grass 🌱 I always look forward to playing my childhood dream tournament 😄 @wimbledon" he wrote along with a photograph of himself training for the Grand Slam.

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Meanwhile, the Serbian was also seen practicing hard on the grass court, showcasing his trademark forehands and backhands. Here's a video from Djokovic's training session shared on Wimbledon's official handle:

Djokovic, who could not participate in the Australian Open 2022 due to his unvaccinated Covid-19 status, was recently dethroned as world number one by Daniil Medvedev. 

Because of the absence of the Russian and Alexander Zverev, Nadal, who won the Australian and French Opens this year, is seeded second. This means Djokovic and Nadal are in separate halves and will not face each other until the men's final.

Also read: How yoga, meditation and veganism transformed Novak Djokovic's career

This year's Wimbledon will be held from June 27 to July 10 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London. The Grand Slam's singles and doubles draw will be made on Friday. 

Since 1927 only two unseeded players have won the Gentlemen's Singles - Boris Becker in 1985 and Goran Ivanisevic in 2001. Eleven unseeded players have reached the final of the Gentlemen's Singles, and four unseeded players have reached the final of the Ladies' Singles.

• Novak Djokovic
• Rafael Nadal
• Wimbledon
• London
• Tennis