Djokovic last played Queen’s in 2010. He opted to go without a Wimbledon warm-up event the following season, and went on to lift his first title in SW19, which convinced him to opt for a light summer schedule for the next few years.
But the grass season has been lengthened since then, while Djokovic has lost his former status as the dominant individual on the men’s tour, slipping back to a ranking of No 21 in the world.
Now that he has ceased to win the majority of tournaments that he enters, he needs to work harder to keep his eye in. He played in Eastbourne last year – his most recent title, as it happens – and is now raising his sights by targeting the fiercely competitive Queen’s draw.
Djokovic had caused a stir at the French Open last week when he stormed straight off the court after his quarter-final defeat at the hands of Marco Cecchinato and announced: “I don’t know if I’m going to play on grass.”