Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the upcoming Madrid Open due to injury, tournament organisers confirmed on Friday.
The former world No. 1 has been sidelined with a right shoulder issue, which also forced him to miss the Miami Open after his last appearance at the BNP Paribas Open in March.
Djokovic, a three-time champion in Madrid, last lifted the title in 2019. Confirming his absence, the tournament said in a post that the Serbian star would not be able to participate this year and wished him a speedy recovery.
The 38-year-old also addressed fans directly, stating that he would continue focusing on recovery and hopes to return to action soon.
Djokovic’s recent run has been disrupted by injury setbacks. He finished runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open earlier this year and suffered a fourth-round defeat to Jack Draper at Indian Wells.
Despite the setback, Djokovic is expected to make his comeback at the Italian Open in May as he continues his preparations for the clay-court season.
