What now for Novak Djokovic?

What a difference three months makes. Back in July Novak Djokovic was the untouchable King of world tennis. Nigh on every tournament he entered he won, and the Serb was on course to claim a Golden Slam – something no male player has ever been able to do.

Fast forward to October and the tennis landscape – not to mention Novak’s world – is very different.

First there was his unthinkable third round exit from Wimbledon at the hands of Sam Querrey. Then came the heart-wrenching defeat to Juan Martin del Potro in the first round of the Rio Olympics. Another tough loss was to follow just weeks later in the final of the US Open against an inspired Stan Wawrinka. The Grand Slam lay in tatters, and a Golden Slam is now a career improbability.

Meanwhile, bubbling away beneath this series of defeats are a couple of disquieting narratives. First, there was a personal issue that Djokovic says is now resolved. Then there are the series of recurring injuries that seem to be plaguing the world No.1.

After the Olympics, problems with his wrist forced the Serb to withdraw from Cincinnati (the only Masters 1000 he is yet to win). Despite a somewhat fortuitous run to the US Open final – that saw him benefit from three retirements – Djokovic repeatedly needed treatment on his arm and shoulder. Now he has been forced to withdraw from the China Open, a tournament that he has won six times. The problem? His elbow.

For anyone who loves tennis, this sequence of injuries is concerning.

An athlete like Novak Djokovic is a finely tuned machine (arguably the most finely tuned machine our sport has ever seen). When finely tuned machines are in full flow, they are a site to behold. But if something goes wrong, if one small element develops even the slightest flaw, it can set off a series of imbalances that brings the entire instrument to a grinding halt.

That is what appears to be happening to Novak.

The Serb’s injuries are not only recurring, they seem to be ‘spreading’. What started as a wrist injury is now an elbow problem, and we all saw him having his shoulder manipulated on numerous occasions at the US Open.

Withdrawing from the China Open is undoubtedly the sensible thing to do.

Whether that extra week is enough, or whether the injury is serious enough that he needs to consider winding up his plans for the Asia swing (and potentially beyond), only Novak and his team knows. Certainly the ATP will be hoping that he doesn’t – Djokovic is the biggest name in men’s tennis in China.

Perhaps, though, for the long-term good of both Novak and the men’s game, it should be a serious consideration.

Tennis wants and needs a fit and healthy Novak Djokovic. But for Novak Djokovic to remain the master of his art – a player who can out-think, out-outmanoeuvre and out-last even his toughest opponents – he needs to be 100% fit. That is why we should perhaps be keeping our fingers crossed that we don’t seem him at all in China, and that instead he delays his return until his injury issues are no longer, well, an issue.