Novak Djokovic hopes that his problematic right knee, which required surgical intervention in June, would not hinder his aspirations of securing an elusive Olympic gold medal.
The injury was aggravated during his hard-fought 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals in Paris on Thursday.
The 37-year-old required medical attention on the court and a pain-relieving medication after an unfortunate slip on the baseline of Court Philippe Chatrier, which left him visibly struggling to move around the court.
Despite the setback, Djokovic mounted an impressive comeback from deficits of 0-4 and 2-5, saving three set points in the ninth game before dominating the tie-break.
Looking ahead, the Serbian star is set to face Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the semi-finals on Friday, as he continues his pursuit of a long-awaited Olympic gold medal while managing his knee condition.
"I'm concerned about the state of the knee. I cannot give you exact information because I don't have it. I have to go and examine the knee with medical staff and then let's see," Djokovic was quoted as saying by AFP.
"I'm playing at 7:00 pm. tomorrow, which gives me slightly more time. But I'm hoping I can be ready and be optimistic. I have to be."
He added: "The anti-inflammatory helped. But that effect is going to fade away, so I'll have probably a more realistic picture tomorrow and then hope for the best."
Set to play his fourth Olympic semifinal, Djokovic, who has claimed record-breaking 24 Grand Slam titles in his decorated career, won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
"I will have to be 100% in my own abilities and physically be fit, to be able to be run with him in order for me to try to win the match. I know that it's going to be tough," Djokovic added of the clash with Musetti.
The injury happened at the French Open in June this year, when Djokovic tore the meniscus in his right knee and had to pull out of the tournament after reaching the quarter-finals.
He made miraculous comeback post surgery to reach the Wimbledon final before losing to Carlos Alcaraz
"It's good that I managed to get it done in straight sets and finish the match tonight," he told a TV interviewer on court after defeating Tsitsipas.
"But I also finished my fourth-round match at the French Open and then discovered that I had torn my meniscus.
"I need to see what happens now. I don't know what to say. It's day by day. I hope I can be physically fit for tomorrow."
Djokovic has defeated Musetti, his opponent in the men's singles semi-final at Paris Olympics, six times in seven meetings, including in the semi-finals of Wimbledon.
