Serbia’s Djokovic, who is suffering from a shoulder problem, will miss the clay court tournament in Madrid, Spain.
Published April 17, 2026
Former world tennis No. 1 Novak Djokovic is still dealing with the injury issues that forced him to miss recent tournaments, and announced Friday that he will not play in next week’s Madrid Open, his last stop before the French Open.
The 38-year-old has only played in two tournaments this year – the Australian Open in February and Indian Wells in March – raising concerns about his fitness ahead of the French Open, which begins in Paris in about a month.
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“Madrid, unfortunately I will not be able to play this year. I am continuing my recovery so that I can return soon,” Djokovic, who is suffering from shoulder problems, wrote in a post on
The Serbian player told Spanish broadcaster Movistar+ during a EuroLeague basketball match in the Spanish capital on Thursday that he hoped to play in the tournament, although he said he was “struggling a bit physically with the injury.”
Djokovic, currently No. 4 in the ATP rankings, lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final in February and withdrew from the Doha Open at the end of the same month due to fatigue.
He lost to Jack Draper in the fourth round of Indian Wells in March, and withdrew from the Miami Open that same month due to a right shoulder injury.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion skipped last week’s Monte Carlo Masters and arrived in Spain to begin preparations for the Madrid Open, which runs from April 22 to May 3.
The draw for the Madrid Open, which Djokovic has won three times, will be held on Monday.
Djokovic will next compete in the Italian Open in Rome from May 6 to 17, before aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, which begins May 24.
