On Tuesday, Djokovic overcame a stomach issue that left him with the “worst feeling in a long time” to beat France’s Alexandre Muller 6-1 6-7(7) 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.
A Wimbledon triumph would also see him equal Roger Federer’s all-time record of eight Championship victories.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I had a chance, to be honest”, Djokovic stressed after beating Muller. “I think I always have a chance.
“I think I earned my right to really feel like I can go all the way to the title. I’ve had arguably the most consistent success in any Grand Slam here in Wimbledon in the last decade, the last six editions I’ve played.
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Djokovic: Wimbledon could be ‘best chance’ to land 25th Grand Slam title
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“I’ve played six finals and I’ve always enjoyed myself when playing on this court, except when I played (Carlos) Alcaraz in the last couple of years.
“But other than that, it was great.”
The 38-year-old Serbian appeared to struggle early in the third set and took a medical timeout, before rediscovering his form and racing to victory.
Djokovic later confirmed that he had been battling stomach issues and his energy “completely dropped”.
“It went from my absolute best feeling, best game in the first set, many break chances to break in the second to my absolute worst feeling in a long time,” he revealed.
“I had issues with the stomach. My energy completely dropped. I was just trying to survive on the court for quite some time.
“Then after a while the energy came back, and I could go back playing from the baseline the way I played in the first set.
“Credit to Alex obviously for winning the second set and playing solid. But I think that I should be happy with a performance once I was feeling good on the court, serving very well. That’s one of the probably things that I will take away today as highlights of the game.”
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Djokovic faces Britain’s Dan Evans in the second round.
Evans won their only previous meeting on clay in Monte Carlo in 2021.
“He’s a super talented player and a great competitor,” said Djokovic about Evans.
“Always backs himself up on the court, believes in himself.
“Playing obviously against a Brit in Britain, it’s never easy. I have to be ready for a great battle. I haven’t played him in a long time.
“He uses his slice quite a lot. I think that favours grass courts because the ball stays low. He can serve and volley. He chips the ball, comes in, mixes up the pace. He’s really a tricky opponent to play against. You don’t want to have him in your draw really in the early rounds.
“It’s a good test. It’s a good test for both of us. I think he’s been picking his form up, as well. I think his rankings are not doing justice at the moment. He deserves to be ranked higher.”
