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Is Novak Djokovic Returning to the Tour Too Early?

By Keshav Gopalan

EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND - JUNE 30: Novak Djokovic of Serbia looks dejected during his mens semi final match against Daniel Medvedev of Russia on day 6 of the Aegon International Eastbourne on June 30, 2017 in Eastbourne, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for LTA)
EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND - JUNE 30: Novak Djokovic of Serbia looks dejected during his mens semi final match against Daniel Medvedev of Russia on day 6 of the Aegon International Eastbourne on June 30, 2017 in Eastbourne, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for LTA) /
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Following Novak Djokovic”s loss in the fourth round of the Australian Open, he revealed that his elbow issues had flared up again. Not much was heard from him in the next two weeks as fans were left to ponder if Novak would be able to adequately recover from an injury for which he had already sought six months of rest and rehab.

However, an update was posted on Novak’s Instagram, where he briefly explained what his thought process was in the last six months before announcing that he had undergone a small “medical intervention” for his deteriorating elbow. There was no mention of a return date.

The Initial Rumours

A few weeks ago, A Serbian publication called Novosti gave an update that Nole would return at the Madrid Masters. Supposedly sourced from an interview with his father, many considered this rumour to be legitimate. And that conclusion was logical as his father would be expected to be in the know.

The Follow-up

However, a few weeks after this as well, the same publication posted that Nole was considering a comeback in the Indian Wells Masters. The news was surprising given his recent surgery and an initial estimate of about a three month recovery period. Nonetheless, the article suggested that if given the all clear, Novak would participate. And that’s precisely what he’s doing.

Opinion

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Novak Djokovic of Serbia looks dejected during the Men’s Singles third round match against Sam Querrey of The United States on day five of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 1, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 01: Novak Djokovic of Serbia looks dejected during the Men’s Singles third round match against Sam Querrey of The United States on day five of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 1, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Bluntly put, Novak should be resting. Barely a month after surgery and hardly a week of intense practising doesn’t sound very encouraging. The entirety of his 2017 season saw him struggling to cope with motivation, and an early loss and/or an aggravated injury will make things worse. Not to mention that his serve, which underwent modification to better facilitate his elbow, has been a shadow of what it used to be. It is unlikely that a part of his game so crucial can be rectified so quickly.

Next: Nadal's Injury Troubles Continue

His serve isn’t the only affected area. The forehand is now compromised as well, as the force of the ball is perhaps too much for his elbow to manage. In the match with Chung, you can see that his forehand swing is noticeably different. the front swing is much shorter and curls towards his body, causing a much weaker and less pacy shot with a little more topspin as the very small added advantage. Nole’s deadliest weapon, the forehand crosscourt passing shot is perhaps the weakest aspect of his game now, and with an advancing age of 31, Nole should have perhaps thought this one out more thoroughly.

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