By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, April 20, 2024
Novak Djokovic is out of Madrid.
World No. 1 Djokovic has withdrawn from next week's Mutua Madrid Open due to a "non-medical reason."
The reigning Roland Garros champion's withdrawal means world No. 2 Jannik Sinner will be top seed for the second clay-court Masters tournament of the season.
Last Saturday, Casper Ruud shocked Djokovic, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, to roll into his maiden Monte-Carlo final and a place in history scoring the biggest win of his career.
"Of course I'm disappointed, you know, to lose a match like this. Was close one," Djokovic said. "Congratulations to Casper. He played really good, especially in the beginning of the first and third, as well.
"I had my chances, but yeah, last game was not great. Unforced errors and just he was solid I think until the last shot and deserved to win. My game was kind of up and down.
"I mean, the positive thing is that I kind of managed to come back after losing the first set and really find the strength in the game. So there are positives to take away from this tournament, for sure, but of course disappointed with the loss."
Photo credit: Mateo Villalba/Getty