BELGRADE: Twelve-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will miss the rest of the season with an elbow injury, he announced on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Serb was forced to retire from his Wimbledon quarterfinal against Tomas Berdych earlier this month because of the problem, and will now sit out next month’s US Open.
In a live Facebook video post from Belgrade, the former world No. 1 said that after suffering from the injury for a year-and-a-half, he had “made a decision to not play any competition, any tournaments” for the rest of 2017.
“Unfortunately this is the decision that had to be made at this moment. Wimbledon was probably the toughest tournament for me in terms of feeling the pain that has escalated,” he said.
Between mid-January 2015 and June 2016, Djokovic won 17 of his 22 finals played in 24 tournaments. It seemed nothing could interrupt his dominance of world tennis.
But for months the Serbian national hero — now fourth in the world rankings — has been a shadow of his former self.
Since winning the French Open last year to complete the career Grand Slam, he has failed to claim another major title.
He crashed out of the Australian Open in the second round and the French Open in the last eight.
Djokovic said that, having spoken to various medical specialists, “they all agree that I need rest, that I need time.”
“This is one of those injuries when nothing can really help instantly, you just have to allow natural rehabilitation to take its course,” he went on.
“And professionally this is obviously not an easy decision for me, but I’m trying to look from the positive side of everything.”
The decision means he will also miss the semifinal of the Davis Cup in France in mid-September.
He said he would need a couple of months without the racket but that surgery was “not an option.”
With Andre Agassi continuing as his coach while he recovers, Djokovic now intends to be ready to start the new season at the beginning of 2018.
That would mean he could compete in January’s Australian Open, his favorite tournament and one where he is the joint most successful male player with the legendary Roy Emerson on six titles.
“I will take this time to heal, to do all the different suggested methods of rehabilitation or healing processes so I can get back on the court asap.”
Djokovic’s long-time rivals and fellow tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have also taken lenthy spells out of the sport to recover from injuries over the last two years, and both returned to win Grand Slam titles this season.
Djokovic out for season due to elbow injury
Djokovic out for season due to elbow injury
Spain will host 2030 World Cup final, says RFEF president
- Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Santiago Bernabeu or Camp Nou
- Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators
MADRID: Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Rafael Louzan has said that Spain will stage the final of the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Morocco wants to stage the game in Casablanca at the Grand Stade Hassan II, a huge stadium currently under construction north of the city.
“Spain has proven its organizational capacity over many years. It will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup and the final of that World Cup will be held here,” Louzan said late on Monday at an event organized by the Madrid Sports Press Association.
Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu or Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the two leading candidates.
Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators. Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) President Faouzi Lekjaa last year expressed his wish to see a final against Spain in Casablanca.
Louzan also alluded to the challenges Morocco faced during its hosting of the last Africa Cup of Nations, including the chaotic scenes during the final between Senegal and Morocco this month.
That match, which Senegal won 1-0, was overshadowed by fan disruptions and player protests that temporarily halted play.
“Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense, with magnificent stadiums,” Louzan said. “We must recognize what has been done well. But in the Africa Cup of Nations, we have seen scenes that damage the image of world football.”
FIFA and the Portuguese and Moroccan football federations have not responded to requests for comment on the final’s location.
FIFA told Reuters last year it was premature to decide the venue for the 2030 final, saying the host city for the 2026 World Cup final was revealed only two years before the tournament. World soccer’s ruling body has the final say on where the match will be played.
