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Novak Djokovic can benefit from a Federer-type schedule

By Harry Floyd

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 12: Novak Djokovic of Serbia is given treatment during the Gentlemen's Singles quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of The Czech Republic on day nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 12, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 12: Novak Djokovic of Serbia is given treatment during the Gentlemen's Singles quarter final match against Tomas Berdych of The Czech Republic on day nine of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 12, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Novak Djokovic can benefit from adapting his ATP schedule to resemble that of Roger Federer. Here’s a look at his current injury and playing situation.

Novak Djokovic ended his play at Wimbledon prematurely. Retiring in the second set of his quarterfinals match, the Serbian tennis star withdrew due to injury.

Now, it is clear that he must adapt his schedule to better fit his playing needs.

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The Serbian tennis superstar can take a page from Roger Federer’s playbook. The Swiss great has amended his schedule in the past year to better align with both his age and lingering injuries.

Federer took a significant amount of time off last year. He recovered from his ongoing ailments and retooled his approach to the ATP World Tour. Bouncing back refreshed in 2017, the Swiss tennis great has earned two Grand Slam titles on the year.

Novak Djokovic should approach the tour as Roger Federer does.

Since 2005, the Serbian tennis player has participated in 51 consecutive Grand Slams.

Throughout that same time, he has amassed his impressive twelve major tournament titles among his overall 68 ATP singles titles. Add training, other tournaments, exhibitions, travel, and more to that and you have an incredibly demanding schedule for anyone.

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Becoming one of the greatest tennis players to ever play the sport requires discipline and is beyond demanding. It’s time for the 30-year-old Djokovic to acknowledge that he is entering a new era in his career. In fact, Federer is now proof that a more streamlined schedule can do wonders for your legacy.

The Swiss Federer had not won a Grand Slam since 2012 until his win at the 2017 Australian Open. Then, with his renewed approach to the tour, he wins two Grand Slams seemingly out of nowhere and at an age that most would consider too old to remain competitive. Novak Djokovic will surely find a way to address his lingering elbow injury that makes the most sense. If he can approach his playing schedule and off the court life to resemble that of Federer, he may very well continue to challenge the Swiss great in the record books.

Stay tuned to see how Novak Djokovic’s 2017 ATP World Tour concludes.

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Check back for updates on the men’s ATP World Tour, the women’s WTA Tour, and other tennis news from Lob and Smash.

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