Novak Djokovic: Returning Slower Than Rafael Nadal
By Harry Floyd
Novak Djokovic is returning to competitive ATP singles action like many others in the sport. His return, however, is moving slower than some.
Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic is making his return to competitive singles action right now. He has played several tournaments since action at the Australian Open. There, he fell to Hyeon Chung of South Korea. Djokovic’s elbow was noticeably bothering him by the time he faced Chung.
Other top players are also making returns to action on the ATP World Tour. Among them is world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. The Spanish great delayed his return, cancelling some tournament appearances in the last two months. He bounces back, however, winning immediately at the Monte-Carlo Masters. His win shows that the extra time away did wonders for him.
Djokovic has not been as lucky. While he has seen moments of brilliance in the past few months, the Serbian is yet to truly rediscover his regular self on the courts. Djokovic won two matches in Monte-Carlo before falling to fifth seeded Dominic Thiem. The young Austrian is one of several rising stars in the sport. An unhealthy Djokovic will continue to lose ground to the younger generation of players. Nadal, on the other hand, continues to outpace the field.
Novak Djokovic is the 2016 champion at the French Open.
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If Djokovic is not 100 percent when action at Roland Garros rolls around, Nadal and others must be considered ahead of him. Some of the young stars could play spoiler over the likes of Djokovic and others. Some, like Kei Nishikori, however, have bounced back better than Djokovic. Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray though, have not been so lucky. Murray is hoping to return to action later this year. Right now, Roger Federer is also taking time away. It’s not so surprising for the Swiss great. He skipped the clay court season last year, leaving it wide open for Nadal to take over. Check back to see if Novak Djokovic can find his rhythm in time to make a run at the upcoming French Open. He will need to take on the King of Clay in Nadal if he hopes to find a title in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to see how he progresses.