Djokovic hits a new low as he ponders long break for ‘body and mind’
Serbian weighs options at his disposal after pullout in quarter-finals
Novak Djokovic admits a long break is on the cards after an elbow injury forced him to retire from his Wimbledon quarter-final against Tomas Berdych.
Djokovic’s miserable 12 months hit a fresh low on Wednesday when a right elbow problem curtailed his bid to win Wimbledon for a fourth time.
The 30-year-old Serb was trailing 7-6 (7/2), 2-0 and felt he had no option but to call it quits as the pain, from an injury that has troubled him for more than a year, began to increase.
“There is a possibility that they will propose surgery, but I don’t think that is good,” Djokovic told Serbian media.
“To go be cut in surgery or to poison myself with pills ... none of the solutions is good.
“A logical conclusion is that a kind of a rest and a longer break is a logical solution. Maybe a longer rest is necessary, not only because of the injury but for my mind as well.
“During my entire career I have followed a school schedule, I have never been reprimanded, maybe I will skip the next semester.”
Djokovic, who has also struggled with a shoulder issue, had spoken to medical experts about the elbow problem before Wimbledon and was told surgery was an option.
Asked what he would do to finally resolve the nagging injury, Djokovic had admitted he wouldn’t rule out an operation.
“The specialists that I’ve talked with, they haven’t been really too clear, mentioning also surgery, mentioning different options,” he said.
“Nobody was very clear in what needs to be done. As long as it kind of comes and goes, it’s fine.
“But maybe obviously, it worked adding up, for seven, eight, ten months, but now the next seven months is not working that great.”
Bopanna enters quarters
Sania Mirza crashed out of the mixed doubles competition while Rohan Bopanna and his partner entered the quarterfinals. Sania and her Croatian partner Ivan Dodig lost 6-7 4-6 to Henri Kontinen of Finland and Heather Watson of United Kingdom in a third round match that lasted 53 minutes.
Bopanna and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada got the better of the Croatian pair of Nikola Mektic and Ana Konjuh 7-6 6-2 to enter the last eight stage