Serbian Novak Djokovic, who will shortly return to the circuit after six months of absence, declared this Tuesday “impatient” to return to the slopes after 18 months of “ups and downs” that have allowed him to draw conclusions about his injury.
The 30-year-old former world number one will take to the field again from December 28-30 at the Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament.
The last time he competed was at the last Wimbledon tournament, in July, and later he announced that he was ending the season with an elbow injury. This absence has brought him down to 12th place in the ATP ranking, the lowest in the last decade.
“For a year and a half, I have been going through ups and downs due to the (elbow) problem. Until now, never in my life have I had to operate and I have never had major injuries that have kept me out for so long, “said Djokovic in an interview with Sport360 in Abu Dhabi.
«I had never missed a Grand Slam. It was a difficult decision to make, but I couldn’t play, I had no other option, “he added, referring to having to end the season hastily.
«Surely this will have served me as a lesson for the future, I want to avoid having to find myself again with an injury of this level (…) It has not been easy for me to be absent for so long. I really want to go back to the competition ».
The Serbian tennis player announced at the end of November that the Czech Radek Stepanek, recently retired from the circuit, will join his team as a coach and that he will work in collaboration with Andre Agassi.