Novak Djokovic ends a 7-year hiatus

London: Three-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic has broken with tradition and taken a wildcard into the Aegon International at Eastbourne next week as the Serb battles to rediscover some form ahead of next month's grasscourt grand slam.

Djokovic, who has struggled this year and suffered an early exit at the French Open, has not played a grasscourt warm-up tournament ahead of Wimbledon since 2010. Since then he has triumphed three times at the All England Club.

"This will be my first trip to Eastbourne, I have heard great things about the tournament," Serbian Djokovic, who will be the tournament's top seed, said in a statement from the tournament on Wednesday.

"I am looking forward to fine-tuning my grass court game there ahead of Wimbledon."Djokovic has endured a turbulent 12 months since becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four grand slams at the same time following his French title last year.

He went out early at Wimbledon to American Sam Querrey, lost his number one ranking to Britain's Andy Murray, fell in the second round at the Australian Open to Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin and split with his entire coaching staff last month.
At the French Open he was beaten in the quarter-finals by Dominic Thiem -- losing the fourth set 6-0 in 20 minutes.