Elbow injury forces Djokovic to quit circuit for rest of 2017 season

Former world number one Novak Djokovic announced on Wednesday the end of his 2017 season. The move follows two weeks of speculation that the 30-year-old Serb would finally succumb to an elbow injury that has hampered his movement for 18 months.

Novak Djokovic is going to rest his injured elbow for the rest of 2017. Reuters/Tony O'Brien

The problem flared up during his quarter-final match against Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon on 12 July forcing the three time champion to retire early in the second set.

“All the doctors I’ve consulted, and all the specialists I have visited, in Serbia and all over the world, have agreed that this injury requires rest," said Djokovic who was eliminated in the last eight at the French Open in Paris in June.

"A prolonged break from the sport is inevitable,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to recover. I will use the upcoming period to strengthen my body and also to improve certain tennis elements that I have not been able to work on over the past years, due to a demanding schedule."

When he won the 2016 French Open, Djokovic became only the eighth man to have won trophies at the four Grand Slam tournament venues of Melbourne, Paris, London and New York. His triumph in Paris over Andy Murray furnished him with his 12^th Grand Slam crown and made him the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time.

But since those apogees, the subsequent yields have been fallow. He lost his world number one status to Andy Murray in November 2016, has failed to win a major title and has dropped outside the top two for the first time since June 2011.

"My elbow is hurt due to excessive playing and it troubles me constantly when serving, and now when playing forehand as well,” he said. “At the beginning of my career I was facing health issues, but over the years, and with a lot of patience and dedication, I found a solution.

"My body has its limits, and I have to respect that and be grateful for all that I have achieved so far.”