The world’s best players are ready to compete in the second ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, the Miami Open, but without the number one ranked men’s player, Novak Djokovic.
In a post on X, Djokovic wrote: Hi Miami! Unfortunately I won’t be playing the @MiamiOpen this year. At this stage of my career, I’m balancing my private and professional schedule. I’m sorry that I won’t experience some of the best and most passionate fans in the world. I’m looking fw competing in MI in future!
The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings has played three events this season. Djokovic competed for Serbia in the United Cup, reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open (l. to eventual champion Jannik Sinner), and fell in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open to Luca Nardi.
Nardi, 20, who is ranked No. 123, became the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam or ATP Masters 1000 level event, surpassing No. 122 Kevin Anderson in 2008 in Miami.
Djokovic owns an 8-3 record on the season and will have to wait to pursue his first trophy of the year. He is two crowns from reaching 100 tour-level titles for his career.
The 36-year-old is a six-time Miami champion. Djokovic is 44-7 at the tournament, where he last triumphed in 2016.
Carlos Alcaraz is fresh off his resurgence at Indian Wells, where he claimed his first trophy of 2024. Will the Spaniard complete the Sunshine Double in Florida?
A star-studded field will try to stop him. Daniil Medvedev is the defending champion, and the man he defeated in last year’s final, Jannik Sinner, began his year 16-0 before losing to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals.
Photo/NovakDjokovic/X
ATP Tour contributed to this column
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