Novak Djokovic Announces He Will Miss Rest of 2017 Season with Elbow Injury

Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will sit out the rest of the 2017 tennis season to rest an elbow injury. 

The 12-time Grand Slam winner made the announcement Wednesday, as relayed by Stuart Fraser of the Times:

The Serb's hiatus means he will miss the upcoming U.S. Open. Djokovic hasn't been in action since he retired from his quarterfinal match with Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon with an elbow injury.

In a statement on his official website, Djokovic insisted the problem requires a sustained period of rest:

"It is the most important for me to recover, to be able to play injury free for as long as possible, to compete in the sport that has given me so much, the sport I love. Of course I want to return to the winning form, to win again, to win the trophies. But now it is not the time to talk about it. At this point, I’m focusing on recovery."

In the same bulletin, Djokovic also confirmed Andre Agassi will remain his coach.

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After Dominic Thiem knocked him out of the French Open quarterfinals in straight sets earlier in the year, Djokovic sounded like he was ready to take time away from the sport. 

Djokovic told reporters he's "thinking about many things right now" after being asked about a possible sabbatical before adding "I have responsibilities" to fulfill, per freelance journalist Carole Bouchard.

During and after the loss to Thiem, Djokovic's performance was widely criticized. ESPN analyst and tennis legend John McEnroe, in particular, thought Djokovic shut down in the third set. 

"It looks right now as if Djokovic doesn't want to be on the court. This is tank city. I'm very surprised—especially with the way how it ended. That last set was really strange," McEnroe said on the ESPN telecast (via Leo Schlink of the Herald Sun). 

Djokovic looked to have rediscovered some form at SW19 until he was forced to pull out of the match with Berdych due to an elbow issue.

"I haven't felt this much pain since I've had this injury," said Djokovic, per BBC Sport. "It's not the shoulder, it's the elbow that has kept bothering me for over a year-and-a-half."

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Since winning the 2016 French Open to complete the career Grand Slam, Djokovic hasn't lived up to his lofty standards. He was defeated in the third round at last year's Wimbledon, was knocked out in the first round at the Olympics by Juan Martin del Potro and lost in the second round at the 2017 Australian Open.

At 30 years old, Djokovic is reaching an age where his body could stand to get more rest in between tournaments. Roger Federer has cut back on the number he plays as his legs have worn down in recent years, and the Serb could well do the same.