What Novak Djokovic Retiring vs. Tomas Berdych Due to Injury Means for US Open

Novak Djokovic retired from the 2017 Wimbledon Championships in the quarterfinal against Tomas Berdych on Wednesday due to an elbow injury. He's now gone five consecutive Grand Slam tournaments without a title after winning six of the previous eight.

Djokovic has found himself in a malaise as of late. Not only is he struggling to reach the mountaintop on the sport's biggest stages, but he's captured just a single ATP Tour title so far in 2017.

He'd already won six championships, including two majors, by this time one year ago. Christopher Clarey of the New York Times broke down Djokovic's struggles over the last year:

Retiring from a match is a rarity for Djokovic, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out: 

The 30-year-old Serbian sensation admitted after the French Open he wasn't sure how to break out of the recent funk, per Matthew Dunn of the Daily Express. Taking an extended break was a consideration, but he felt a duty to the game as one of its top competitors.

"Trust me, I'm thinking about many things, especially in the last couple months. I'm just trying to sense what's the best thing for me now," Djokovic said. "Obviously there have been a lot of changes with the team and so forth. I am excited to work with Andre Agassi and the new team and at the same time, I have responsibility to the game itself, towards others."

He added: "I'm trying to get better, trying to be on a high level again. I know that I have achieved the biggest heights in this sport, and that memory and that experience gives me enough reason to believe that I can do it again."

Wimbledon marked the 51st consecutive major appearance for Djokovic dating back to 2005. While his remarkable run of durability has helped him capture 12 Grand Slam titles, it's also prevented him from taking many mental breaks given the nearly year-round tennis schedule. Now his elbow injury will put his durability to the test.

It's unlikely he'll want to skip the U.S. Open, where he's enjoyed consistent success. He's reached the tournament semifinals in 10 straight years, including seven appearances in the championship match and a pair of titles in the season's final major.

Looking ahead, Djokovic remains one of the most dangerous contenders in every event he plays, even though his form has been fleeting this season.

His days of pure dominance may be a thing of the past, though. The continued strength of longtime foes Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka combined with the next wave of talent, led by Milos Raonic, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev, clouds the long-term outlook.

A resurgent showing in New York, and perhaps some extra time off during the latter stages of 2017, would improve his prospects heading toward next year and beyond.