On Saturday, the organisers of the Madrid Masters announced that the famous tennis player, Novak Djokovic, had withdrawn from the tournament. The organisers shared the news on Instagram just days ahead of the tournament’s scheduled start on April 26.

Although the exact reason for his withdrawal has not been confirmed, it is believed to be related to an elbow problem that Djokovic has been suffering from.

This setback is a significant blow to the 35-year-old’s preparations for the French Open, which is set to begin at the end of May.

Djokovic’s recent form has been less than stellar. In the quarter-finals at Banja Luka in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday, he suffered a straight-set defeat by his compatriot Dusan Lajovic.

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This loss followed his underdog defeat by Lorenzo Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier in April. Djokovic had already expressed concern about his elbow before the Srpska Open, saying that it was “not in an ideal condition.”

Interestingly, Djokovic’s absence from the Madrid Masters means that neither he nor Rafael Nadal, who are joint record 22-time Grand Slam champions, will take part in the event.

The Madrid Masters is a key part of the preparation for Roland Garros, and this lack of participation by both players may raise concerns about their preparedness for the upcoming Grand Slam.

Djokovic has missed tournaments earlier this year at Indian Wells and Miami over his refusal to get a Covid-19 vaccination. The Serb has been vocal about his stance on the issue, and this has sparked a debate in the tennis world.

Speaking after his defeat by Lajovic on Friday, Djokovic expressed his disappointment with his performance.

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He said, “I was many levels below what I want. Playing like that, I can’t win against opponents who are so solid on this surface. But what can I do? It’s simply sport. I was trying, but it wasn’t working. I didn’t feel very good physically on court. My legs were slow, I missed a lot of balls. I played well at times, but generally well below standard.”