Djokovic aims for a Federer miracle soon

W ILL Novak Djokovic do a Roger Fed er er ? Like Federer, Djokovic quit the tournament scene recently because of injury, forcing him to surrender a quarterf inal match in Wimbledon only a while back.

Because of this, Djokovic, the winner of 12 majors, will miss the US Open, marking the first time that he won’t play in a Grand Slam since his Slam debut in 2005.

For Djokovic, the 2017 season is over, devoting his time in the next five months to rest his sore elbow that has been bothering him for the last 18 months.

“All the doctors I’ve consulted, and all the specialists I have visited in Serbia and all over the world, have agreed that this injury requires rest,” Djokovic said. “A prolonged break from the sport is inevitable. I’ll do whatever it takes to recover.”

Almost a little past of middle of last year, Federer, the all-time leader in Grand Slam events won with 18, also bade farewell to tennis to give time for his surgically repaired knee to heal.

Then in January, Federer came back and, in an astonishing display of his old self, won the Australian Open.

Just when almost everybody thought Federer was fast sliding into the sunset of a brilliant career spanning almost two decades now, the Swiss sensation defied the odds to become a Slam champ once again.

And then, as if to prove his Australian Open victory wasn’t a fluke, Federer swept his next two high-profile tournaments in Indian Wells, California, and Key Biscayne, Florida.

He would next skip the French Open to rest his knees more than his soon-to-be 36-year-old wonder body, before capturing a title on grass in Halle, Germany.

The German crown was but an aperitif as Federer, the most graceful to ever swing a tennis racquet, went on to win Wimbledon almost without a sweat against Marin Cilic.

Djokovic could yet use Federer as his model when he returns in January, with Andre Agassi remaining as his head coach.

“He (Agassi) supports my decision to take a break,” said Djokovic, who was world No. 1 from July 7, 2014 up to Oct. 31, 2016, winning four Slams along the way.

At 30 years of age, Djokovic isn’t old hat by the sport’s standard. We will know that by January in the Australian Open.