Highlights: Sinner wins in straight sets again to reach Miami semis
Video credit: SNTV
Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Monte Carlo Masters, following his absence from the Miami Open.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion will not feature in the tournament, which he has won twice – in 2013 and 2015 – and starts Saturday, April 4.
Tournament organisers released a short statement on social media to confirm the Serbian’s withdrawal, which read: “Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the tournament. We send him our best wishes and hope to see him back on court very soon.”
Djokovic has been struggling with a shoulder injury this year, and his last appearance came at Indian Wells earlier this month, where he was eliminated by Great Britain’s Jack Draper in the last 16.
During his defeat to Draper, Djokovic explained feeling “out of gas” and before the match, opened up on some of the pain he felt if he had not served for a few minutes.
“It’s a bit odd, the more I serve, the better I feel, but then it comes on and off if I get cold,” he said. “If I don’t serve for five or six minutes, then I feel like the first couple of serves of that game are a bit painful.”
It is likely that the 38-year-old is protecting his long-term health, with Wimbledon and Roland-Garros on the horizon and Djokovic bidding for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam crown.
Djokovic’s last Grand Slam triumph came at the 2023 US Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev for a landmark 23rd major title – the most ever for a male player and joint with former female star Margaret Court.
He came agonisingly close to being out on his own when he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Australian Open earlier this year.
Highlights: Alcaraz beats Djokovic to complete career Grand Slam
Video credit: TNT Sports
The veteran has remained well in contention in his hunt for the record, after being knocked out in the semi-final of all four major tournaments last season.
But his ongoing injuries and absence from both the Miami Open and Monte Carlo Masters have added an element of doubt heading into the final three Grand Slams of the year.
Alcaraz’s victory over Djokovic meant that he became the youngest-ever player (22) to complete the Grand Slam set: the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
The rise of Alcaraz, along with Jannik Sinner – who has qualified for the semi-finals of the Miami Open on Friday – has proved problematic in Djokovic’s bid for a historic Grand Slam win.
Either Alcaraz or Sinner have won all nine major tournaments since Djokovic last got his hands on major silverware in New York in 2023.
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