COPYCAT! Exactly 1 Year After Federer Did It, Djokovic Ends Season Early

Exactly one year (to the day) after Roger Federer announced the end of his 2016 season on July 26 to recover from a knee injury, Novak Djokovic has repeated the action by announcing today he will not play again in 2017.

He announced his decision on his website and Facebook:

“All the doctors I’ve consulted, and all the specialists I have visited, in Serbia and all over the world, have agreed that this injury requires rest. A prolonged break from the sport is inevitable. I’ll do whatever it takes to recover. I will use the upcoming period to strengthen my body and also to improve certain tennis elements that I have not been able to work on over the past years, due to a demanding schedule. Five months may seem long from this point, but I’m sure they will pass quickly because there is so much I want to do. Another important moment is coming, we will become parents for a second time. My wife Jelena and I are expecting our second child, and we are preparing to welcome a new family member. These are things that fill me with greatest happiness and delight. I’m confident I will be ready for start of the new season."

This means that Djokovic's streak of 51-consecutive majors played will end and he will miss the 2017 US Open where he has played in the final 6 of the last 7 years (winning twice: in 2015 d. Federer and 2011 d. Nadal).

World #1 Andy Murray is also expected to possibly curtail his season (presumably after the US Open) and cede the race to the ear-end #1 to a thrilling battle between Federer and Nadal. It also means that Federer is now probably the prohibitive favorite for the 2017 US Open, and the chances of a Federer-Nadal match at that tournament (which has never happened) increase.