Novak Djokovic and Incrediwear: The Story Behind the Sleeve

This is the story of how Novak Djokovic found Incrediwear, what it did for him, and why he eventually put his money where his knee was.

The injury that changed everything

On 3 June 2024, Novak Djokovic was deep in the fourth round of the French Open, grinding out a five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo. During the second set, he slipped. The right knee — which had already been giving him trouble before the tournament — took the full force of the fall.

He finished the match. But the damage was done. Djokovic withdrew from Roland Garros before the quarterfinals, and scans confirmed what many had feared: a torn meniscus. He underwent arthroscopic surgery within days — a procedure to remove the damaged fragment of cartilage.

For a 36-year-old athlete at the peak of a sport that demands explosive movement, rapid changes of direction, and thousands of repetitions on hard surfaces, a meniscus injury at a Grand Slam is not a minor inconvenience. The standard recovery timeline for this type of surgery ranges from three to six weeks. Wimbledon, the most prestigious grass court tournament in the world, was less than four weeks away.

The recovery

What happened next surprised everyone — including, by his own admission, Djokovic himself.

Twenty-one days after surgery, Djokovic walked out onto the grass at Wimbledon for his first-round match. He was wearing a distinctive grey and white sleeve on his right knee. That sleeve was Incrediwear.

He didn't just make up the numbers. He played his way through the draw, match by match, and reached the final — where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Weeks later, at the Paris Olympics, he defeated Alcaraz again in the gold medal match to claim his first Olympic singles title, completing the one major honour that had eluded him throughout a career spanning 24 Grand Slam titles.

Throughout that entire period, on court and off it, the Incrediwear sleeve was a constant presence.

About Incrediwear

Incrediwear was founded in 2009 with a specific idea: that recovery garments didn't have to work through compression. Rather than squeezing tissue to limit swelling, Incrediwear's technology uses semiconductor elements — Germanium and Carbon — woven into the fabric, which are activated by body heat to release infrared energy and negative ions. This drives increased blood flow, lymphatic drainage, and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the target area.

The result is a garment that looks like a compression sleeve but works through an entirely different mechanism — and, as the clinical research shows, produces materially different outcomes. In a published study of total knee arthroplasty patients, those using Incrediwear had 19% less swelling at 21 days compared to those using standard compression stockings. In a six-month study of knee osteoarthritis patients, 100% of participants showed measurable improvement in pain and function.

For a professional athlete recovering from meniscus surgery with a Grand Slam on the horizon, the ability to support circulation and reduce swelling without compression — and to wear the garment continuously without restricting movement — matters enormously.

From patient to partner

Djokovic's relationship with Incrediwear didn't end on the grass at Wimbledon.

In August 2025, he acquired a significant stake in the company and was announced as Incrediwear's global brand ambassador. Jackson Corley, founder and CEO of Incrediwear, said:

“When one of the world's greatest athletes reaches out because our product made a difference, that's the power of real results. Novak shares our belief that recovery is the foundation of performance, and we're proud to welcome him as both an investor and brand ambassador.”

Djokovic has been characteristically direct about what drives his choices:

“The health space is something I deeply care about, something that is also very authentic and close to me, as I live it on a daily basis. I think nowadays with so many products and companies and brands out there, it's not easy to navigate what's good and what's authentic and original and what's made or created or developed with high integrity. I feel like one of the best ways is to have an ambassador or partner that is a face that really embodies that. I try to do that.”

Why it matters beyond tennis

Djokovic is known for being at the frontier of sports science and recovery — a plant-based diet, breathwork, yoga, red light therapy, and meticulous attention to sleep and recovery have been hallmarks of his longevity in a sport that breaks most players down long before their late thirties.

When someone with that level of rigour and that much at stake — literally, a career — chooses a product and then backs it with investment, it carries weight. Not because celebrity endorsement is evidence, but because Djokovic had every reason to use whatever worked and no reason to use what didn't.

His recovery from meniscus surgery to Wimbledon finalist in 21 days remains one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent tennis history. Incrediwear was part of that story.