Novak Djokovic’s season is going from bad to worse, with reports emerging that the 12-time Major champion won’t be fit for the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year.
Djokovic, who hasn’t won a Slam in 2017 – for the first time since 2011 – is suffering from a long-standing elbow injury which has hampered his season. He lost early at the Australian Open and French Open and retired with an elbow injury in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon against Tomas Berdych. After his withdrawal, he had hinted at taking a long break from playing to recover from the recurring right elbow injury.
Now, Tennis Federation of Serbia’s doctor, Zdeslav Milinkovic has said that Djokovic will announce his break from tennis soon. Milinkovic reportedly told Serbian newspaper Sportski Zurnal that Djokovic has a bone bruise from “excessive play” and will need rest for the at least a couple of months. According to a report in Tennis.com, the doctor said the “symptoms are declining,” but the Serb will need rehab in order to avoid surgery.
Djokovic had earlier mentioned that he is opposed to going under the knife. “There is a possibility that they will propose surgery, but I don’t think that is good. To go be cut in surgery or to poison myself with pills.... None of the solutions is good,” Djokovic had said after his Wimbledon exit.
“The most important thing is that Novak is at the moment calm and recovering successfully,” Milinkovic told Serb media. “Novak is in Toronto undergoing some further tests with specialists,” the Herald Sun quoted him as saying.
Djokovic won the US Open in 2011 and 2015 and was the runner-up to Stan Wawrinka last year. If he misses the Major and other tournaments in the North American hardcourt season, he is likely to drop a lot of ranking points. He has already slipped to world No 4 and has the Canadian Open title and US Open final points to defend. US Open begins on August 28.