Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Madrid Open as he continues to manage a shoulder injury picked up in his fourth-round loss to Jack Draper at Indian Wells, extending a stop-start clay court lead-in for the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
The 38-year-old Serbian, who will skip the tournament for a fourth time in six years, confirmed the decision with a short message to his Spanish fan base.
"Madrid, unfortunately, I won't be able to compete in the Madrid Open this year. I'm continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!" Djokovic said.
The withdrawal is the latest chapter in an injury-disrupted 2026 season. Djokovic lost this year's Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, then exited Indian Wells earlier than expected against Draper as the shoulder issue began to affect both his serve and his baseline stance. He had already skipped the Qatar Open, the Miami Open and the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Madrid's absence is notable because the Caja Mágica has historically been one of Djokovic's favourite European tune-ups. The tournament's altitude produces a fast bounce that rewards first-strike tennis, a style suited to his flat backhand and his return. Skipping it once more underlines the priority he has placed on Grand Slam preparation at this stage of his career.
The Serbian's team has made no secret of the fact that Roland-Garros and Wimbledon sit at the centre of his 2026 goals. With three weeks separating the conclusion of Madrid from the start of Rome and Roland-Garros — which runs from May 24 to June 7 — Djokovic now has a meaningful window to build physical conditioning without match load on the shoulder.
At 38, the margins Djokovic is working with are different. His team has spoken previously about prioritising training blocks over Masters 1000 match play, a pattern consistent with how he approached the back-end of his 2023 and 2024 seasons. The challenge is that the Masters events historically provided him with live tactical reps against the very players he will meet in Slam draws.
Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner remain the two players setting the benchmark. Sinner is guaranteed to stay at world No. 1 for another week regardless of Madrid's outcome, while Alcaraz has also been dealing with fitness concerns of his own heading into his home clay. The three-way rivalry that has defined the men's tour since the start of 2025 has yet to have its full expression on clay this season, and Djokovic's decision to sit out Madrid ensures it will not have it there either.
The Serb finished by thanking Madrid's tournament director and his Spanish fans, signing off with a now-trademark "Hasta pronto." Whether that return comes in Rome or directly at Roland-Garros, the assumption now is that every decision between here and Paris will be made with the French Open as the first real target of 2026.