Novan Djokovic concludes a rather negative 2017 in his tennis career, as the elbow injury that kept him away from the court reappeared, forcing the Serbian to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament, where his return was expected after six months of absence.
Djokovic, who was very disappointed as he expected to return to official tournaments, said: "I was enjoying the preparations and was looking forward to the tournament. Unfortunately, in the last couple of days, the pain in my elbow returned, and after some exams, the doctors have recommended that I not risk anything, withdraw from this tournament, and continue with the therapies."
If he had been able to participate, the Serbian tennis player would have played today in the semifinals against the Spanish player Roberto Bautista, who automatically becomes the finalist. With his withdrawal, Novan's return for the 2018 season could be further delayed.
It is worth remembering that Novan Djokovic's last performance was in July at Wimbledon, but a right elbow injury forced him to undergo treatment, thus ending his participation in the 2017 season, with the intention of returning in 2018. However, the break caused the Serbian to drop in the ATP ranking, falling to 12th place with 2,585 points, far below the number 1, Rafael Nadal, with 10,645 points.