Former three-time winner Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Madrid Open, beginning next week, because of a lingering injury.

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The fourth-ranked Djokovic hasn’t competed since the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. He missed the Miami Open because of a right shoulder injury and also skipped the Monte Carlo Masters.

“Madrid, unfortunately I won’t be able to compete at the Madrid Open this year,” he wrote on Friday (April 17, 2026) on his social media accounts. “I’m continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!”

The tournament said in a statement: “We hope to see you back here as soon as possible so we can enjoy your tennis as we have done so many times in the Caja Mágica.”

The news is another blow for Djokovic with time running out to be fit for the year’s second Grand Slam, the French Open, which begins in Paris in a month’s time.

With inputs from AP, AFP