Novak Djokovic withdrew from the upcoming Mutua Madrid Open on Saturday. Having also pulled out last year, Djokovic has not played the Madrid Masters since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the 2022 tournament.
Djokovic’s decision is not a huge surprise since he has made no secret about prioritizing Grand Slams and the Olympics at this stage of his career. The 36-year-old Serb also skipped the Miami Open and has taken the court for just three events so far in 2024 (not including the United Cup team competition). Djokovic’s clay-court swing began with a Monte-Carlo semifinal loss to Casper Ruud.
With Jannik Sinner on fire, Djokovic’s lead atop the ATP rankings is on thin ice. The world No. 1 has 10,035 points, while Sinner is up to No. 2 and making a real push for the top spot with 8,750 points.
Madrid would have been an ideal opportunity for Djokovic to add points since he did not play in 2023. He has little to defend in Rome (lost in the 2023 quarterfinals to Holger Rune) but will be defending 2,000 points at Roland Garros after winning the French Open last spring.
Sinner also skipped Madrid last season, so the 22-year-old Italian can add as much as 1,000 points to his haul over the next fortnight. If he lifts the Madrid trophy, he will be a mere 285 points behind Djokovic.
Alcaraz (No. 3 with 8,645 points) is the two-time defending champion in Madrid but is questionable to play due to a right-arm injury.
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