World No.1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next week’s China Open on medical grounds due to an ongoing elbow injury.
The Serbian was set to return to the tour following his loss to Stan Wawrinka in the final of the US Open. At the tournament Djokovic experienced issues with his elbow and received a medical timeout in the third round for treatment. Following that match, he brushed off the concerns and stated that he was ‘fine’ during his press conference.
Despite Djokovic’s reassurances in New York, it has become evident that his elbow is still a problem as he skips the Chinese tournament for the first time since 2011.
“I am very sad not to be able to compete at the China Open this year. I am still recovering from my elbow injury and have been advised not to play tournaments until my condition improves and allows me to compete. I will continue with my rehabilitation and hope to be able to return to the ATP World Tour as soon as possible.” He said in a statement.
“The China Open is one of my favourite tournaments. I have had a lot of success there, winning the title six times. I love competing in front of the passionate Chinese fans and I look forward to coming back to Beijing in the future.”
Djokovic was bidding to win the title in Beijing for the fifth year in a row. The 29-year-old is yet to lose a match in the tournament, currently boasting a perfect win-loss record of 29-0. His withdrawal comes after what has been a lacklustre past couple of months for the Serbian, who has been dodged by fitness issues.
Replacing Djokovic as the top seed will be Andy Murray, who will be hoping to win his first title in Asia since 2014. The Brit will be joined in the main draw by fellow top 10 players Rafael Nadal, Milos Raonic and Dominic Thiem.
It is unclear as to if Djokovic will defend his title at the Shanghai Masters, which occurs the week after Beijing. A withdrawal would provide Murray with a golden opportunity to close in on the world No.1 ranking. There are currently 2055 points separating them, but the two upcoming tournaments in China have a combined worth of 1500 points.
