IT could be tempting to write off Novak Djokovic at this point, to think he might be closer than ever to being done competing for Grand Slam titles and closer than ever to retirement, where his greatest on-court rivals – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray – already reside.
Perhaps those sorts of thoughts are natural in the immediate aftermath of Djokovic’s exit from the Australian Open semi-finals with a torn leg muscle.