With the Madrid Open 2026 fast approaching, tennis fans have received unwelcome news as Djokovic and Alcaraz have both announced their withdrawal.
This year's Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid has been plagued by bad news, with two top stars, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, both confirming they will be unable to participate due to fitness issues.
According to the latest announcement, Djokovic has withdrawn from the Madrid Open (April 22nd to May 3rd) due to not being in his best form. The Serbian player, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, has also not played since his fourth-round exit at Indian Wells after a loss to Jack Draper. He subsequently missed the Miami Open and Monte Carlo tournaments.
Shortly afterwards, Spanish player Alcaraz also announced his withdrawal from the home tournament due to a right wrist injury. The world number 2 expressed regret at having to miss Madrid for the second consecutive year, a place he considers one of the most special stops of the season. Previously, Alcaraz had also been forced to withdraw in the second round of the Barcelona Open.
Of the two pieces of bad news for tennis fans, Alcaraz's absence presents an opportunity for world number one Jannik Sinner to widen his lead in the ATP rankings. Sinner currently has 390 points more than Alcaraz and could potentially extend that gap further if he performs well in Madrid.
For Djokovic, not participating in Madrid doesn't significantly affect his ranking, as he only has to defend 10 points. In the past, the 38-year-old has won the tournament there three times in 2011, 2016, and 2019. Djokovic's next goal is the Rome Masters to prepare for Roland Garros.