Novak Djokovic pulled out of the upcoming Madrid Open as he continues to deal with a shoulder issue that has unsettled his season. With the French Open around the corner, the Serbian could have enjoyed some match time on clay. Instead, he heads into the final stretch of preparation with very little court time behind him.
“Madrid, unfortunately, I won’t be able to compete this year. I’m continuing my recovery to be back soon,โ Djokovic tweeted.ย
Itโs been a fragmented year so far for Djokovic. He has only featured in two events, making the final at the Australian Open before falling short and then exiting in the fourth round at Indian Wells. Since then, his schedule has thinned out considerably. He had already skipped Miami and Monte Carlo and there was still some uncertainty earlier this week about whether he would show up in Madrid at all. While in the city for a EuroLeague game, he admitted he wasnโt fully right physically but left the door slightly open, which is of course now closed.
Djolovicโs match fitness is slightly concerning now
The lack of matches is becoming hard to ignore. For a player who usually builds rhythm deep into tournaments, the stop-start nature of this season is far from ideal, especially heading into a Grand Slam played on one of the most demanding surfaces.
His last appearances also came with mixed results. After finishing runner-up in Melbourne, he was beaten at Indian Wells and hasnโt been seen in competition since. The shoulder problem, particularly on his right side, has lingered longer than expected. The current plan is to return to Rome at the Italian Open in May. If that holds, it will be his only clay-court event before Roland Garros begins on May 24.
That leaves very little margin for Djojovic. Match fitness, timing, and physical durability all come into play on clay and Djokovic may have to figure those out on the go in Paris. With a 25th Grand Slam title in sight, the bigger question now isnโt form, itโs whether he can get his body where it needs to be in time.