Elbow Forces Djokovic Out Of Exhibition

December 29, 2017 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff

 

It has been an inauspicious start to the new season on the ATP World Tour as a number of the world’s top players are still working their way back from injuries.

That includes Novak Djokovic who has been dealing with an elbow injury since the middle of last season, and on Friday announced that he has withdrawn from an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“I am terribly disappointed that I am forced to withdraw,” Djokovic said in a statement. “Unfortunately, in the past few days I started to feel pain in the elbow and after several tests, my medical team has advised me not to risk anything, to withdraw from the tournament and to immediately continue with the therapies.

This might affect the start of the season and the tournament plan, but the decision will be made in the following days.”

Djokovic, who hasn’t played since Wimbledon, was slated to take on Spain’s Roberto Bautista-Agut in the exhibition semifinal on Friday night. He will be replaced by Andy Murray, who happened to be in Abu Dhabi training to get himself ready for the start of the new season. 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
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