Injured Djokovic to undergo shoulder surgery according to reports

Current world number one Novak Djokovic retired from his fourth-round match with Stanislas Wawrinka in the US Open due to a shoulder injury. The Serbian has been bothered by the injured shoulder throughout the US Open. After the match, Djokovic revealed that the pain was constant for weeks.

However, according to express.co.uk, the injury turned out to be more severe than expected and that Djokovic may have to undergo shoulder surgery. Reports also say that the procedure could keep him out for the rest of 2019. The 16-time Grand Slam champion, however, downplayed the seriousness of his injury saying that he is preparing for upcoming huge tournaments including the ATP Finals.

In a Twitter post, Djokovic said that he is actively working on his recovery. He is preparing for the tour’s Asian swing. Novak was initially slated to compete in the Japan Open, which starts September 30 but now he is doubtful for the event.

Rankings

Djokovic is still optimistic that he will compete in other tournaments. His Grand Slam may have been over but the season isn’t. There are still huge events coming along the way and Djokovic is still hopeful of playing in those events.

His chances of ending the year still at the top hinges on his ability to compete in the remaining tournaments this year. If Djokovic is unable to play for the rest of 2019, US Open champion Rafael Nadal could supplant him as the No. 1 player this year. He could even drop to as low as No. 3.

As it currently stands, Djokovic has accumulated 9,865 points with Nadal trailing by just 640 points. He has 2,600 ATP points to defend in the next couple of months thanks to his victories in the Shanghai Masters and being able to reach the final of the Paris Masters and ATP Tour Finals last year.

A huge loss

If the Serbian does miss the rest of the season, he could miss five major tournaments including the season-ending ATP Tour finals. If Djokovic misses out on just one of the remaining events, he could lose the top ranking to Nadal.

Federer could still improve on his 2018 semi-final result in Shanghai or Paris to become the second-ranked player at the close of the year.

Novak Djokovic’s ranking and performance in 2019

Now ranked no.1, Djokovic played his last match on the 1^st of September when he lost to Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-5 2-1 ret. in the 4^th round in U.S. Open.

This year Novak has a 41-8 win-loss record. Novak conquered 3 titles in 2019 at the Australian Open, in Madrid and in Wimbledon. Djokovic was the finalist in Rome.