It's no longer a secret that Novak Djokovic currently ranked fourth in the world has lost that invincibility aura he used to display while playing tennis. At 30 years of age, the Serb champion has a lot on his plate as he has been struggling to overpass injuries and a certain lack of motivation. Ater his withdrawal from Wimbledon Championships due to an elbow injury, he is now facing more trouble as he could miss 2017 US Open as well as the entire warm-up on the North American hardcourts. Under these circumstances, his ranking status is expected to drop even more thus putting him in a difficult position.
The elbow issue seems to be a side effect of over playing. Just remember how Djokovic used to dominate the Tennis Courts not long ago. That surreal pace of his eventually took its toll finding a soft spot in his elbow.
Several months away from the tennis courts would have serious implications
Judging by the current state of things, it seems that Novak Djokovic will be eligible for competing not that soon. If he misses the entire US Open Series, it means that he won't be there defending his points from last year. Back in 2016, he won the Canadian Master and then went on finishing as a runner-up at US Open. These two events combined deliver a huge pressure as Djokovic would have to defend more than 2000 points.
Letting aside the ranking points' pressure won't make things easier. A long absence from the professional tour opens up the box for other issues too. The lack of playing eventually will lead to a rusty game and the absence of a solid pace. The last two Djokovic managed to avoid by being constant over the past seasons. Now that his elbow requires an extended break, the working basis might change.
With his ranking plunging, Djokovic would have to put in a lot of effort in order to reclaim one of the top spots.
Djokovic's professional career may go off the rail
Although some would expect Djokovic to play for few more years, that thing is merely a desire. After spending so many years in the professional tennis, he could find tennis less appealing.
Moreover, his wife is due to give birth to their second child no further than September. Not everyone is Roger Federer to make waves at 36 years of age while his two pairs of twins are cheering from the boxes. Some may find quite hard to find a proper balance between having a family life and spending most of the year traveling, training, competing across the world.One thing is for sure- once a player gets past the 30 years milestone, every single decision must be weighed carefully.
