Serbia’s Novak Djokovic looks up during the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on March 1, 2023. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will miss the Madrid Open, apparently due to a fitness issue, the Spanish event said on April 22,.
Top-ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovic won’t be participating in the Madrid Open due to a fitness issue, as per the event’s announcement on April 22. The Madrid Open extended their well-wishes to the player and said on Twitter, “Wishing you a speedy recovery, we hope to see you back on court as soon as possible, Nole.” Djokovic has recently discussed issues with his elbow, but mostly downplayed the extent of the problem.
Additionally, Rafael Nadal, who shares the record of 22 Grand Slam titles with Djokovic, will also miss the Madrid Open due to a nagging hip injury that has kept him sidelined since the Australian Open in January.
Both players’ absence from the tournament creates an opportunity for others to step up.
The next major event is the French Open, which starts on May 28. Djokovic, who has won the Madrid Open three times, has had back-to-back early exits from the tournaments. He lost to Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 16 at Monte Carlo and Dusan Lajovic in the quarterfinals of the Srpska Open, marking his first loss to a countryman in 11 years.