Novak Djokovic injury update: Why did the Serbian pull out of the Madrid Masters?

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The ATP Madrid Masters is scheduled to take place from April 26 to May 7 – Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the tournament

World No.1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the upcoming ATP 1000 Masters event in Madrid. Although the reason for his withdrawal is not clear, it is understood that his elbow is ‘not in an ideal condition’. Djokovic is a three-time champion at the Madrid Masters and his withdrawal has also raised questions about his availability for the French Open which is set to begin in a month’s time.

Djokovic’s withdrawal has been confirmed by the Madrid Masters’ official handle on Twitter. “@DjokerNole is unable to compete at the #MMOpen. Wishing you a speedy recovery, we hope to see you back on court as soon as possible, Nole”, they wrote.

Djokovic was in action last week at the Banja Luka Open, where he lost in the quarter-final to Dusan Lajovic. The top seed wasn’t at his fluent best and later revealed: “I didn’t feel well on the court, my legs were slow and my footwork was torpid.” The Serbian star will be hoping to make good use of this much-needed break and come back strong at the Roland Garros.

Is Novak Djokovic going to miss the 2023 French Open too?

The extent of Djokovic’s injury is not certain yet and that has raised questions about his availability for the French Grand Slam. Djokovic’s close aides are confident though that the Serbian will be fit in time for the all-important Roland Garros. Djokovic reclaimed the No.1 spot in ATP men’s singles earlier this month and he is certainly going to give it his all to hold on to the coveted spot.

djokovic rg 2022 draw 2
Image Credits – ATP Tour

It is astonishing that Djokovic has claimed back the No.1 spot despite missing multiple tournaments since the start of 2022.

Djokovic potentially lost a total of 12,000 points after not being able to participate in key tournaments such as the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami Open, Wimbledon (no points awarded), Montreal Open, Cincinnati Masters and the US Open in 2022.

The Serbian has also missed the Masters 1000 events like the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open this year. However, he will definitely not want to miss Roland Garros and as of now, things don’t look that bad but it remains to be seen if he can eventually make it.

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