It’s official – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will not participate in the upcoming Miami Open. This announcement comes in the wake of his unexpected defeat at the Indian Wells tournament. This decision has been made in order to balance his personal and professional schedule.
Djokovic took to his social media accounts on Saturday to announce his decision to withdraw from the Miami Open. This surprising news follows his recent loss to the relatively unknown Luca Nardi at the BNP Paribas Open held at Indian Wells.
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!— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 16, 2024
Nardi, with a ranking of No. 123, managed to defeat Djokovic in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. With this victory, Nardi becomes the lowest-ranked player to defeat Djokovic in a Grand Slam or ATP Masters 1000 level event. The previous record was held by Kevin Anderson, who was ranked No. 122 when he defeated Djokovic in Miami in 2008.
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Nardi entered the tournament as a “lucky loser”, a term used in tennis to describe a player who loses in the final round of qualifying but is able to enter the main draw as a replacement for an injured player who withdraws before the first round.
The Miami Open has been a happy hunting ground for Djokovic in the past. The 36-year-old Serbian is a six-time champion of the hardcourt tournament. His absence from this year’s event will leave a significant void in the competition.
