"I just felt miserable and felt maybe this is the moment": Novak Djokovic was done with tennis after 2018 Miami Open
ATP
Novak Djokovic has shown himself to be not slowing down in the slightest with the great Serbian still winning titles and still at the top of his game at the age of 36. But there was a moment where he nearly quit the sport during 2018 and decided initially to walk away.
Back in 2018, he was plagued by an elbow injury for more than a year. After trying to fix it, he had enough and was losing matches and wasn't himself on the court. He told his team after the 2018 Miami Open that he was done with tennis.
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His team urged him to reconsider after he admitted that he saw it as the next chapter incoming. He would undergo surgery for his elbow and it worked out from there. Albeit he has struggled at times since with the issue including recently, he spoke during a talk on stage at the Upfront Summit.
"I had a fantastic career, and no one was really telling me 'Maybe you should think of slowing down.' I did feel like I wanted to leave tennis, I must say that, particularly a few months after the surgery."
"I played the worst tennis that I ever played. I was losing to guys that I never lost to, and I just felt miserable on the court, and I felt, 'maybe this is the moment.' So I gathered my team and I told them I was starting to distance myself from professional tennis, I though it was maybe time for the next chapter."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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