World number one tennis player and holder of 24 Grand Slam titles, Novak Djokovic, is confirmed to be absent from the Madrid Open tournament this week.
A number of media reported that the 36-year-old Serbian tennis player withdrew from the tournament and he was not included in the draw on Monday (22/4).
Djokovic has not won a single title this season and he will only appear in four tournaments in 2024. Previously, Djokovic had decided to have a lighter competition schedule this year.
Meanwhile, another tennis veteran, Rafael Nadal, will continue his fight to return from injury in Madrid and he will play against 16-year-old tennis player from the United States (US) Darwin Blanch in the first round.
With Djokovic’s absence from the Madrid Open, he has missed a total of three tournaments in four years.
The Serbian tennis player can still appear at the Italian Open before trying to defend his French Open title on May 26.
Also read: After 5 years, Djokovic vs Murray clash at Madrid Open
Djokovic is a three-time champion in the clay court tournament played in the Spanish capital.
This is the second time Djokovic has withdrawn from the Masters 1000 tournament this year, after previously missing his appearance at the Miami Open last March.
Djokovic is known to have attended the La Liga match when Real Madrid won 3-2 over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Sunday (21/4).
Also read: Defeating Monfils, Djokovic remains at number one in the world
Meanwhile, Nadal played at the Barcelona Open, but lost in straight sets to Alex de Minaur in the second round. If Nadal is able to beat Blanch, he will meet De Minaur again.
Defending champion and second seed Carlos Alcaraz said he hoped to be fully fit to appear in Madrid after experiencing problems with his upper arm.
Alcaraz will face Alexander Shevchenko or Arthur Rinderknech in the second round.
Top seed Jannik Sinner will face another Italian Lorenzo Sonego or a qualifier in the second round of the Madrid Open. (Ant/Z-1)
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