In a surprising turn of events, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has decided to withdraw from the Miami Open 2024. This decision comes in the wake of his unexpected early exit from the Indian Wells tournament.
Djokovic, who is currently ranked as the world No. 1, has had a rocky start to the 2024 season. Despite a promising campaign at the US Open last year, where he emerged victorious, Djokovic has yet to secure a title this season. His performance at the Indian Wells tournament was particularly shocking, where he was defeated by a lower-ranked player.
Focusing on the Big Picture
Djokovic’s decision to skip the Miami Open seems to be a strategic move, allowing him more time to prepare for the upcoming European clay-court season. With the Miami Open ending just a week before the first big clay-court tournament in Monte Carlo, participating in Miami could have resulted in a swift and potentially challenging surface change.
Moreover, Djokovic, who turns 37 in May, has been known to manage his schedule masterfully in the latter part of his career. The build-up to the year’s second Grand Slam at Roland Garros is now, understandably, the priority for Djokovic. He is the defending champion at the French Open, having claimed his third title at the clay-court major last year.
An Olympic Dream
The 2024 Olympic Games, which will be staged on the red clay courts at Stade Roland Garros, could be another reason for Djokovic to place added emphasis on training on the surface and having a strong clay-court campaign. An Olympic gold medal is the only major prize in tennis to have eluded Djokovic during his astonishing career to date.
While Djokovic’s withdrawal may surprise some given his titleless start to 2024 and fairly limited action so far this season, it is a move that makes sense in a number of ways. As the tennis world continues to watch and wait, all eyes will be on Djokovic as he prepares for the upcoming clay-court season and the pursuit of his unfulfilled Olympic dream.
Novak Djokovic in 2024
LWWWLWLWWW Ranked no.1, Novak played his last match on the 11th of March when he lost to world no.123 Luca Nardi 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the 3rd round in Indian Wells (draw).
At the moment, during this season Novak has managed to achieve a composed 8-3 record. Novak Djokovic’s best achievement of the current year was reaching the semifinal at the Australian Open.
Djokovic will compete next in Miami (Miami Open). He will begin to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 18th of March.
