'I think he can get back there': Novak Djokovic backed by Andre Agassi to return to the top

Novak Djokovic can put his past year of injuries and poor form behind him and make a return to the top, according to his coach Andre Agassi.

Djokovic started 2017 as the number two-ranked player in the world behind Andy Murray as he began his campaign with a win over the Briton in the final at Doha.

However, the year progressed to bring poor form caused by injuries that saw him win just two titles and eventually take time off after Wimbledon in July 2017 due to a long-running elbow problem.

The Serbian ace returned at the Australian Open last month and had a good showing in Melbourne, but suffered a loss in the quarter-final stage at the hands of Hyeon Chung.

Despite his overall dip in form since the beginning of the 2017 season and his inactivity triggering a drop to 14 in world rankings, Agassi is confident that he can return to his old glories where he dominated tennis in a five-year spell from 2011 to 2016.

"Some players find it hard to get back to the top when they have had a dip in form, but in Novak's case, I think he can get back there," Agassi told Tennis 365. "He is aged 30, but his body is still in the condition of a 25-year-old.

"The first thing you look at when you reach that stage of your career is the physical conditioning and maybe whether you have to make life easier on yourself when you reach the back end of your career. He needs to find a few new solutions, it's as simple as that. Tennis is a mix of mind, body and heart and there is a balance. You have to make sure more is going in than coming out.

"For a time, he was just so intense about what he was accomplishing, his goals and objectives. At some point, you are going to run into trouble sooner rather than later. Emotionally, physically, you will eventually pay the price.

"I think he is off that plane where he put himself under so much pressure and he is on an upward trajectory again and I think there are things for him to add to his game. He needs to think about it and that is what he is doing at the moment."

Following his loss to Chung, Djokovic revealed that he still had problems with his elbow but was expected to be back sooner rather than later, having undergone a "small medical intervention" in his recuperation.

It emerged later, though, that the 12-time Grand Slam champion may only return in May after some "failings" in his treatment, according to his father Srdan Djokovic. He added that an expected return date could now only be in May for the Madrid Masters.