Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are the highest-profile players to withdraw from the Madrid Open, but the list continues to grow with a few more players likely to join them before the tournament gets underway.<\/p>\n
The joint ATP-WTA 1000 event in the Spanish capital starts on 21 April with the women\u2019s first-round matches before the men kick off their campaign the following day.<\/p>\n
Casper Ruud is the defending champion as he won his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title 12 months ago when he defeated Jack Draper in the final on the clay at Caja Magica while Aryna Sabalenka won her third title in Madrid with victory over Coco Gauff.<\/p>\n
But tournament organisers have suffered a couple of devastating blows as two-time champion and local hero Alcaraz won\u2019t be in the main draw<\/a> as he has been sidelined by an arm injury he sustained at the Barcelona Open.<\/p>\n Alcaraz was going to be the big drawcard for Spaniards, but he will now miss the tournament for the second consecutive year and his withdrawal came just hours after tennis great Djokovic also confirmed he won\u2019t participate.<\/p>\n Tennis News<\/p>\n ATP Rankings No 1 battle: Jannik Sinner has a chance to take dominant lead over Carlos Alcaraz<\/a><\/p>\n WTA Madrid Open: Points being dropped by Sabalenka, Gauff, Swiatek, Raducanu, Eala<\/a><\/p>\n Djokovic, a three-time winner of the Madrid Open, announced, \u201cI\u2019m continuing my recovery\u201d<\/a> with the number of ATP stars to pull out currently sitting at eight.<\/p>\n Jannik Sinner is set to be the top seed, although there are still doubts over his participation<\/a>, and he will be followed by Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton, according to the latest Live Rankings.<\/p>\n ATP Madrid Open withdrawal list<\/p>\n Carlos Alcaraz (world No 2) \u2013 replaced by Sebastian Ofner
\nNovak Djokovic (world No 4) \u2013 replaced by Adam Walton
\nTaylor Fritz (world No 8) \u2013 replaced by Roberto Bautista Agut
\nHolger Rune (world No 27) \u2013 replaced by Francisco Comesana
\nSebastian Korda (world No 43) \u2013 replaced by Alexander Shevchenko
\nGiovanni Mpetshi Perricard (world No 53) \u2013 replaced by Alexandre Muller
\nArthur Cazaux (world No 71) \u2013 replaced by Alexander Blockx
\nKamil Majchrzak (world No 73) \u2013 replaced by Thiago Agustin Tirante<\/p>\n