Unable to find a decent rhythm throughout the first six months of 2017 mostly due to that elbow injury, Novak Djokovic made the announcement that he won't compete this season in order to allow his elbow to heal. The decision emerged earlier today during a live video on his official Facebook. Thus, the Serb put an end to a poor season that saw his ranking status plunging on the fourth place for the first time in years. Moreover, he collected only two ATP 250 titles in 2017 which is a poor harvest for someone with his potential. Apparently, Wimbledon was the decision-making-point as he was forced to withdraw in the last eight stages while playing against Tomas Berdych.
Djokovic will follow a territory mapped by Federer last year
There are plenty of similarities between Djokovic's situation and the decision Roger Federer made after 2016 Wimbledon Championships. Basically, Djokovic will take a similar break which will include an absence from the US Open. It might be the best option for Djokovic even though the outcome could not be the same. For Federer, it worked quite well. With two Major in his pocket in 2017, the Swiss might wanna congratulate himself for the decision to call an end to his season after last year's Wimbledon.
On the other side, Novak Djokovic has been dealing with his elbow for about a year and a half. It's the toll his body took after that tremendous race of 2015 and the first part of 2016.
Anything comes at a cost, and even the greatest athletes must pay a certain price for their achievements. In the light of these developments, now it's a certain fact that Djokovic will plunge even deeper in the general ranking. it won't be a surprise if he'll slip outside the top 10 by the end of this season. He won't be there defending last year's results which include a runner-up status at US Open and the title at Rogers Cup, the semis in Shanghai or the quarterfinals in Paris.
Djokovic needs a new strategy
Over the past few years, the Serb, now 30, has been a constant Tennis player gathering around 80 matches per season under his belt. But, it might be the time to cut some events off of his future schedule. If he wants to remain relevant that is the only solution. But, a long time off has its own risks and the rust doesn't need much to thrive. For Federer or even Nadal long absences brought something new. 2018 Australian Open will probably be the testing site of a rejuvenated Djokovic unless something unexpected will occur in the meantime.
