Novak Djokovic likely to miss the US Open, rest of season in doubt

What’s the story?

12-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic is all set to miss the US Open according to a report by the Serbian newspaper Sport Klub. Zdenko Milinkovic, a medical doctor and orthopaedic surgeon, has revealed to the publication that the former World No. 1 will need to rest for six to 12 weeks in order to recover from his right elbow injury, thus ruling him out of the final Grand Slam of the year.

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The injury forced Djokovic to retire from his 2017 Wimbledon quarter-final match against Tomas Berdych while trailing 6(2)-7, 0-2.

This has been a recurring problem for the Serb for the past 18 months and has been one of the reasons why he has struggled since his historic 2016 French Open win.

Despite the adversity, he made every effort to keep on playing at Wimbledon this year until the intensity of the pain made it absolutely impossible for him to continue.

The heart of the matter

The doctor has said that Djokovic, who won the Eastbourne title a week before Wimbledon, has developed a bone bruise due to excessive playing. Not taking enough rest in between tournaments has aggravated the condition.

The World No. 4 has been to Toronto for additional tests and has been consulting Serbian experts too to find out a solution. As of now, different procedures have been suggested that can aid in his recuperation. Surgery still remains the last option, the paper has reported.

The Serb has been advised not to train with a racquet during his rest period although he will be involved in his fitness programmes and therapies.

An assessment will be done after some time to ascertain how the recovery is progressing and whether he will at all need to be out of action for such a long time.

What’s next?

Djokovic is in his native Belgrade now and is expected to announce a press conference this week to discuss his plans for the rest of the year.

Author’s take

While the two-time champion Djokovic’s absence will take some sheen away from the US Open, his health is of paramount importance. It is most desirable that he tends to the injury first and does everything needed to completely recover from it.