Novak Djokovic's elbow is healed, and he's 'in shape to compete'

Novak Djokovic, who returned to the tour in Monte Carlo on Tuesday, says he has recovered from the elbow injury that led him to withdraw from Miami.

"The elbow is fine now," he told reporters in Monte Carlo before the tournament. "I’ve been training for the past couple of weeks, playing Davis Cup and making the transition to clay that’s very demanding for the body. I was skeptical of how my elbow would react to the heavy balls on clay, but it’s been good so far."

Djokovic described his recent Davis Cup encounter against Albert Ramos-Vinolas as his "best serving match" in "six or seven months."

The No. 2-ranked player has not won a tournament since his first event of the season in Doha, but wants the clay courts to be a "fresh start" for him.

“I’ve paid a lot of attention to recovery since having to miss Miami,” the Serb said, “and am now in shape to compete."

Djokovic is a two-time champion in Monte Carlo. He defeated Gilles Simon, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, in his opener.