Djokovic has reached the final at Wimbledon for the past five years and lost last year’s showpiece to Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable five-set match on Centre Court.

He did not rule out playing at Wimbledon in a social media post after the operation, writing: “My love for this sport is strong and the desire to compete at the highest level is what keeps me going.

"I’m going to do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible."

Three years ago, Taylor Fritz was able to reach the third round at Wimbledon after a similar operation on his right knee during the French Open.

The American was taken off court in a wheelchair at Roland Garros after damaging his right meniscus when match point down in the second round against Dominik Koepfer.

But at SW19 just a month later, he was able to beat Brandon Nakashima over four sets and Steve Johnson over five, before losing to Alexander Zverev.

That had not escaped Djokovic’s attention, and Fritz revealed at Queen’s Club earlier this week that the 24-time Grand Slam champion had been in touch.

“I told him what it was like for me. A lot of it comes down to the inflammation and how you react,” he told reporters.

"When I did it, I couldn't even walk. People are different. You pretty much have your full strength immediately.

"It's more just the inflammation from the surgery. As long as you can get that down and start playing without it puffing up again, you're going to be fine to play."

Being able to win seven five-set matches in a fortnight may be beyond even Djokovic, but a rapid recovery means he will at least be in London to see whether a 19th appearance at the championships is realistic.

The tennis competition at the Paris Olympics begins on 27 July, just 13 days after Wimbledon finishes.