Novak Djokovic is expected to miss the rest of the summer, including the U.S. Open, because of a lingering elbow injury. A doctor in Djokovic’s native Serbia told the Sportski Zurnal newspaper that the current world No. 4 has a bone bruise from “excessive play” that requires between six weeks and three months of rest.
The U.S. Open begins on August 28, in little more than a month.
Djokovic has struggled with elbow and shoulder problems this entire year, and things reached a low point when he was forced to retire from his Wimbledon quarterfinal match against Tomas Berdych.
The Serbian-based doctor, Zdeslav Milinkovic, said that the former world No. 1’s “symptoms are declining.” However, Milinkovic added that surgery still could be avoided with general rehab. Djokovic also visit a doctor in Toronto who indicated that things have since improved. Regardless, the 12-time Grand Slam champion is expected to withdraw shortly from the season’s fourth and final Grand Slam.
With Djokovic out, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer just about have the top three seeds–in some order–locked up in New York. Stan Wawrinka will be in line to get the No. 4 seed.
After holding all four major titles when he captured the French Open for the first time last spring, Djokovic currently holds none. He lost to Wawrinka in the 2016 U.S. Open final, to Denis Istomin in the Australian Open second round, and to Dominic Thiem in the French Open quarterfinals before his plight at the All-England Club.
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