Michel Euler

Updates from Monday, May 12

ATP's Staff provides a statement from Novak Djokovic discussing his injury status:

I did not feel any pain four days before I was supposed to go to Madrid [for the Mutua Madrid Open], though the medical team advised me not to go. I listened to what they said, because I wanted it to heal 100 per cent. I have practised and my wrist has been monitored. All the experts – a few doctors and my physiotherapist – said that after I played points and full training, I was able to return to tournament play. Right now, I feel confident about the state of my wrist. I am more ready than I was one week ago to play a match.

Updates from Sunday, May 4

BBC's Staff reports Novak Djokovic's status for the Madrid Masters:

World number two Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Madrid Masters as his right wrist injury has "flared up again". He still hopes to be fit to compete in Rome next week - his last chance of top-level competition before the French Open in three weeks' time.

Updates from Tuesday, April 22

Djokovic reported the latest news on his status on his official website:

Six-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic should be able to play the Masters tournament in Madrid, taking place from May 4 till May 11. Good news is that the most recent medical analysis showed the right wrist injury isn’t that serious. On the other hand, the doctors advised Djokovic to rest for several days, before returning to tennis. “Fortunately, the situation with the injury is better than it first seemed. Doctors assured me that I will be ready for Madrid, then Rome and Roland Garros, just as it has been planned. However, I need to continue with the recovery process and full medical treatments. It means I will have to take a short break in order to recover as soon as possible,” Novak said.

Original Text

Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic is a threat to win each and every time he steps on the court, but the spectacular Serb will be out of action for the foreseeable future.

According to The Associated Press, he intends to rest a troublesome wrist injury.

"I cannot play tennis for some time. How long, I don't know," Djokovic said.

The ailment has seemingly been pestering Djoker for quite a while, but it has gotten progressively worse. Despite the injury, he decided to play through it in the Monte-Carlo Masters semifinal against Roger Federer on Saturday.

Djokovic put forth a valiant effort, but he ultimately fell to Federer 7-5, 6-2 in straight sets.

As seen in this photo courtesy of tennis photographer Adeline Auger, he played with his wrist and forearm heavily taped:

Djokovic claimed that his wrist felt fine after a tough match against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the quarterfinal on Friday, according to Carole Bouchard of L'Equipe, but things clearly went south Saturday:

While Djokovic very nearly pulled off a mini miracle by earning two set points in the first set against Federer, his injury proved too much to overcome.

He likely gained a lot of respect from fans and fellow players for battling against Federer, but it may not have been the best decision.

The French Open is just over a month away, and while it's difficult to speculate about Djoker's availability for Roland Garros, there is no question that he'll have to be in much better health in order to vie for a title.

Grand Slams are essentially the be-all, end-all for tennis players, and Djokovic may have hurt his chances of competing in and winning one.

He was still competitive in Monaco despite his limitations, but simply being competitive isn't enough to win a major title. For the sake of tennis fans and the sport as a whole, hopefully a little time off does wonders for Djokovic.

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