If he decides to skip the rest of the season, Novak Djokovic would lose 3940 points in total. That means that he might finish the season outside the top 10. We all hope it doesn't come to that, but the picture from the Wimbledon quarter-finals doesn't look promising at all. After he retired from his last match, he admitted the problem is his right arm elbow, which has been bothering him for 18 months. Novak Djokovic refuses surgery, which would separate him from the tennis courts for at least six months. On the other hand, it is kind of obvious that Novak must make a Decision fast because otherwise, his career might be at stake.
The importance of taking the break from tennis
Novak told Serbian media that he would ask the specialists for an opinion and that all options are open at this point. He continued by adding that he is thinking about taking a break from tennis. To put it simply, the situation Novak is in resembles that of Roger Federer in 2016. It was after his semi-final loss to Milos Raonic at Wimbledon that Federer made a decision to skip the rest of the season in order to recover from knee injury. As we are all aware of, Federer came back stronger than ever.
The break would mean a lot to the wounded Djokovic. Not only would he recover his body strength but he would also spend some time with his family. He would have enough time to find a coach for the long run.
Working with Andre Agassi did show some results, but this part-time cooperation simply isn't enough for Novak.
What about ATP points?
On the other side of the equation stand all the ATP points he would lose if he decides to skip the rest of the season. First, 1000 points are at stake in Montreal because he won a tournament there last year.
Next, at the US Open, he has got the final to defend. Then he would have to defend 1540 points total at Shanghai, Paris and the World Tour Finals.
In the last six years, not counting this season, Novak played 479 matches total, 80 per season on average. It's also worth noting that in 2015, his best year, he even managed to play 90 matches.
With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that his body is sending the signals that it is time for the break. He wouldn't be the first one to do so. Nadal came back after the injuries and so did Federer.
In conclusion, we must say that there is still time for Novak Djokovic. The fans expect him to play for another five or six years. However, he must make the decision himself and there is no place for emotions.
