Novak Djokovic may need to skip the remainder of the season, considering the struggles the Serb had playing at a high level in recent months.
Djokovic is still able to keep his spot atop the World Tour rankings and should still see himself at the No. 1 spot heading into the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. But after struggling to win at the big events in the past few months, it could be time for the 12-time Grand Slam winner to consider taking a time off for the rest of the season, according to ESPN tennis analyst Johnette Howard.
"Yes," Howard wrote in response to the question of whether Djokovic needs time to rest until the next season starts. "He seemed to be running on fumes by the US Open and has been cryptic about personal issues that were also troubling him. It hasn't been easy to be dominant as long as he's been. A break could be restorative."
Djokovic had a remarkable start to this year, completing a non-calendar Grand Slam after winning his first French Open title. But after his Roland Garros success, Djokovic suffered a dip in form, citing personal issues as a factor of his losing slump.
"Since Roland Garros I haven't succeeded in finding emotional fulfillment on court," Djokovic said, reports Tennis Now. "I felt too psychologically burdened in pre-tournament training and official matches, and I didn't like that at all because I don't play tennis only to win titles and be No. 1 in the world."
"I want once again to enjoy every training and every moment I spend on court. The psychological approach and attitude is changing and I want neither to talk nor to think at all about No. 1 or winning titles."
Djokovic's loss of passion in playing tennis has yielded him disappointing results at major events. Coming off a one month rest after winning the French Open, Djokovic lost in Round of 32 of Wimbledon against American Sam Querrey.
The Serb quickly bounced back conquering the Rogers Cup, but suffered yet another stunning defeat against Juan Martin Del Potro at the Rio Olympics. And just as he was about to redeem himself at the US Open, Stan Wawrinka denied Djokovic of defending his title.
Djokovic was supposed to defend his crown at the China Open on Oct. 3, but an elbow injury has forced the 29-year-old to skip his first tournament in the Asian Swing. It is unclear whether the injury would take its toll on Djokovic's form, but it could be a sign for Nole to recuperate and be physically and mentally prepared for next year.
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