The US Open is set to get underway in five weeks time.

However, it will be without one of the biggest stars of the global game.

Novak Djokovic has been suffering with an elbow injury for a year and a half and after visiting an Elbow specialist in Toronto, and he's recently received more news from said specialist.

The news was not good news for the 30-year-old, and according to Novosti, the Serbian will lay out his plans for the rest of year in a press conference in Belgrade.

The Serb's doctor Zdeslav Milinkovic, who works closely with the Serbian Davis Cup team, told Zurnal.rs that Djokovic’s elbow problem was now considered to be chronic.

He said: “This is something that has been going on for a year and a half, but Nole, thanks to treatment and incredible physical fitness, managed to tolerate problems and play.

“Then the injury became chronic, and it’s very good that he handed over the match to Berdych at Wimbledon.

“I was just praying for the match to stop, because in a number of situations it was going beyond the limit of pain.

“We are friends for so many years and I know when he is not well. In Davis Cup he has played many matches with difficulties."

The specialist then continued and admitted that the problem Djokovic had needed an extended rest period, something it never got.

“The problem is that it is something that requires a certain recovery time, and he often did not have it.

“Like when at Wimbledon, he had to play, in the fourth round and quarter-finals, day after day.

“Elbow is a very specific part of the body, which is not protected by muscles, but is covered by the skin.

“This ‘hinge’ joint, especially with it’s extension, needs to be ‘locked’, to be stable."

Finally, Milinkovic admitted that in order for Djokovic to get better, he should rest for 6-12 weeks, meaning he'd miss the US Open, but it could dampen the remainder of his career as well.

“And with tennis players, baseball pitchers, handball players, it’s hard. He has a bone bruise because he played too much. He will have to rest for 6-12 weeks.

“At the moment, he can't train with tennis racket but can do physical training.”

Here’s hoping that Djokovic is still the player he is after a prolonged rest.