Novak Djokovic will not play at the Madrid Open this year. The 24-time Grand Slam winner shared the news himself just days before the tournament starts on April 20. He is still dealing with a right shoulder injury and is not ready to come back yet. This means his return to tennis will take a little more time.
Novak Djokovic’s injury update after Indian Wells loss to Jack Draper delays Madrid Open return
Novak Djokovic has not played since his Round of 16 loss to Jack Draper at the Indian Wells Open. During that match, he picked up a right shoulder injury. Because of that, he also missed the Miami Open and then decided to skip the Monte Carlo Masters.Many fans were waiting to see him start his clay season in Madrid. But on Friday, Djokovic made it clear that he is still not fully fit. He wrote on“I’m continuing my recovery in order to be back soon.”He also added a short message for fans in Spanish, saying he hopes to see them soon.Earlier, Djokovic had said he wanted to play in Madrid, but he also admitted that his body has been struggling. He said:“I hope to compete here, I’m working towards that. I don’t know, I’m not sure. I have been struggling physically a little bit with an injury, so I’m trying to address that and play as long as I can.” Now, with Madrid ruled out, his next possible return could come at the Rome Masters next month.
Novak Djokovic responds to GOAT debate while reflecting on Australian Open loss to Carlos Alcaraz
Even while staying away from the court, Djokovic has been part of big conversations. One of them is the “GOAT” debate. Many fans call him the greatest of all time, but Djokovic does not like to focus on that.Speaking to L’Equipe, he said:“I am who I am, I am proud of what I have accomplished, but I respect other eras and all opinions and I leave the GOAT debate to others.”Earlier this year, Djokovic had a chance to make more history at the Australian Open. He reached the final but lost to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. That match was close, but Djokovic could not finish on top.For now, his focus is simple. Get healthy, recover fully, and come back stronger. Fans will now wait to see when he finally returns to the court.
