Serbian star Djokovic skips another tournament, elbow still not right
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Novak Djokovic withdrew from another tournament on Saturday, this time his final warm-up event for the Australian Open, saying he still has pain in his right elbow and isn’t sure when he will return to action.
The elbow problem forced Djokovic to withdraw from an exhibition tournament in United Arab Emirates on Friday. The 30-year-old Serb said Saturday his elbow had not improved and he was going to miss next week’s Qatar Open.
The tournament in Qatar, where Djokovic is the two-time defending champion, was the last on his schedule before the Australian Open starts on Jan. 15.
“Unfortunately, the situation with the elbow has not changed for [the] better since yesterday. I still feel the pain,” Djokovic said in a statement.
“Only when I’m 100% ready to play, I will be able to come back. I hope it will be soon. I want to thank everyone for [their] patience and understanding.”
Djokovic will continue with treatment to his elbow after consulting with his medical team, he said. He didn’t say what his plans were for the Australian Open in Melbourne, where he has won six of his 12 Grand Slam titles and where he claimed back-to-back titles in 2015-16.
Djokovic hasn’t played a competitive match since he retired in this year’s Wimbledon quarterfinals because of the elbow injury. He was scheduled to meet Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in the semifinals of the exhibition event in UAE on Friday, his first match in nearly five months.