To give sport the elbow for rest of year

the best way to solve it. Short term, it’s probably rest that is most appropriate.

“I haven’t felt this much pain since I’ve had this injury. It’s not a good sign.”

Djokovic had complained about Wimbledon not putting him on court on Monday night when he had waited all day to play, only to have to wait until Tuesday because of the Rafael Nadal marathon.

That may have given him a day off and his injury longer to recover, but he again hit out at the scheduling.

He added: “The fact that I played yesterday didn’t help at all. I spent two and a half hours today on the table trying to do everything I possibly could to make myself fit. But it wasn’t to be.”

Djokovic had the trainer on twice on Tuesday during his straight-sets win over Adrian Mannarino.

He added: “It’s the elbow that has been bothering me for over a year and a half. It’s unfortunate that I had to finish Wimbledon this way. I tried to get it in the condition where I was able to play.

“I was able to play for 30 minutes with pain that was bearable. But all the treatments and medication couldn’t help.

“The intensity and level of pain were not decreasing. They were only increasing as the days went by. Today was the worst day. I didn’t consider not starting. I always like to give it a shot.”

With Andy Murray also struggling with a hip problem coming into Wimbledon, Djokovic added: “We both had a very long, tough year, a lot of matches. Our bodies have taken a lot physically. As an athlete, at a certain stage of your career you’re going to face these things. Injuries are part of this sport. Tennis is getting very physical. At the end of the day, we’re all humans.”