It was the 2024 French Open. A resurgent Novak Djokovic made it to the quarterfinals of the French Open and was up against Casper Ruud in the last-eight clash. However, ahead of the quarterfinal encounter, Djokovic announced a shocking withdrawal from the tournament citing a knee injury. While his hopes of winning a 25th major title crashed, Djokovic had to undergo surgery to repair the damage done. Although he recovered in no time, it looks like the horrors of the past are still alive, according to tennis great Tracy Austin.

The American tennis legend appeared on the Tennis Channel Live podcast episode which went live yesterday. During the conversation there, she discussed a bunch of topics, including this week’s results at the WTA Finals and the upcoming ATP Finals. Further, she was asked to comment about Djokovic’s recent injury setback and his absence in Turin.

Austin said, “I am not surprised at all. We saw him a few days ago vacationing in the Maldives with his family and the ongoing injury I am going to assume is the knee that was surgically repaired in between the French Open and Wimbledon. He was really pushing to play in the majors, got to the final of Wimbledon, won the Olympics, that was the crown jewel that he wanted so much. Seven-time champion, he is probably thinking, shut it down, and that the knee really heals before I start 2025.”

Earlier, Djokovic took to social media to announce his absence in Turin. Apologizing to his fans, Djokovic wrote, “I was really looking forward to being there. But due to a persistent injury, I won’t be playing there next week.” The persistent injury might be his knee injury, which Austin also believes, as Djokovic has often been spotted wearing a knee cap after his surgery. Thus, with Djokovic not being 100% fit, he felt it was appropriate to skip the ATP Finals instead of aggravating his injury.

Moreover, many in the tennis circles argued that Djokovic made the correct decision by skipping the ATP Finals event. Former British pro player, Greg Rusedski, also agreed with Djokovic’s decision.

Greg Rusedski explains the logic behind Novak Djokovic withdrawing from the ATP Finals

At 37, Djokovic is well past his physical best. Despite this fact, the Serb wants to dominate the Tour and defeat young players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz consistently. However, in order to do so, the Serb is taking a mini-break in the hope of entering the 2025 season with a bang. Former British pro, Greg Rusedski also agreed with Djokovic’s decision and provided a logical reasoning behind it.

He said, “I will be surprised if he plays in Turin or plays any more tennis this season, but never discount him. For me, if Novak is 100 percent healthy and gets fit, he is in the mix to win every Major again. Don’t discount Novak. Health is your wealth, the older you become the smarter you have to become and he knows these things.”

With Djokovic’s season all but over, he is spending quality time with his family while vacationing in Maldives. Can he come back strongly in 2025? Let us know your views in the comments below.