Novak Djokovic is set to return to action this week at the Japan Open. The Serbian is in his 270th week ranked world number one as he draws nearer to Roger Federer’s record of 310 cumulative weeks. The 32-year-old defeated the Swiss at this year’s Wimbledon final in a close match to win his 16th Grand Slam. He also has Federer’s total of 20 Grand Slam titles in his sight. Djokovic played at the US Open but he to withdraw with an injured shoulder.
Frustrated by injury
The Serbian has been nursing the left shoulder injury that was aggravated in New York during a match against Stan Wawrinka. Djokovic retired from the match leaving many fans at the tournament disappointed. The world number one also expressed his frustrations but said that he had been unable to continue after feeling some discomfort in his shoulder. The 16-time Grand Slam champion missed the Laver Cup. Team Europe still managed to win the cup despite his absence. He has been rehabbing his shoulder over the last few weeks and is set to play competitive tennis in the next few weeks.
Busy schedule
Djokovic is expected to make his comeback at the Rakuten Japan Open which will be held in Tokyo. He is then scheduled to play in the Shanghai Masters in October followed by the Paris Masters. Novak will also play at the Nitto ATP finals in London and then represent his country at the Davis Cup in Madrid. He has expressed his excitement to be back on the court and is looking forward to playing. World No. 1 has been practicing in Belgrade to prepare himself for a busy couple of months.
The 32-year-old has been world number one since November 2018. However, he faces some competition from current number two Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard is in a position to overtake Djokovic following his win at the US Open. He is 640 points behind the Serbian. His participation in the remaining events on the ATP tour could help him leapfrog the 2019 Wimbledon champion at the top. Federer, who is currently ranked third, is also in contention to move up to the number two position. The current world number one could find himself third on the rankings by the end of the year. The three players continue to dominate the game and the debate over which player is the greatest of all time will continue as they battle for Grand Slam titles in future.
Back to training
Novak is now back to training and he looks in good form according to these videos.
Look who is back to the office!… Wish you @DjokerNole a good recovery… Looking forward to see you fit at the @ATP_Tour pic.twitter.com/TGp7esEkDI
— Rothgo (@DecePPcionado) September 22, 2019
Novak Djokovic’s ranking and performance in 2019
Currently ranked no.1, Djokovic played his last match on the 1st of September when he surrendered to Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-5 2-1 ret. in the 4th round in U.S. Open.
This year the Serbian has a 41-8 win-loss record. Novak clinched 3 titles in 2019 at the Australian Open, in Madrid and in Wimbledon. Djokovic was the finalist in Rome.
Novak Djokovic |
| Embed from Getty Images |
