Novak Djokovic won't be competing at the 2024 Miami Open after making a decision to skip the tournament.
The Serbian arrived in the United States on the same airplane as his rival Rafael Nadal, and they could possibly leave the country on the same airplane as well, as the first two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments of the season went far below their expectations.
While Nadal was forced to withdraw from the Indian Wells Open and never had any intentions to play in Miami, Djokovic, on the other hand, was shocked in Indian Wells already in his second match, and made an even more surprising decision to withdraw from the Miami Open.
This comes at the time when Djokovic needs wins to build his confidence, as he lost at the Australian Open to Jannik Sinner, and after his Miami Open withdrawal, he's ensured to finish the first three months of the 2024 season without a trophy.
Already after his loss at the Indian Wells Open, the 24-time major winner hinted that he may skip the tournament in Miami, and while that didn't look realistic at the moment, he made the decision to withdraw now.
The confirmation of the news comes from Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo, who often reports from Djokovic's camp, having verified information firsthand.
According to some other reports, the 36-year-old was already spotted in Belgrade, Serbia, which isn't unlikely, but that's difficult to verify at the moment.
After his withdrawal from the Miami Open, Djokovic's focus will turn exactly to where his rival Nadal is looking already. Both will prepare for the clay-court season, with a likely showdown at the Roland Garros around the corner.
In the current 2024 ATP Race rankings, Djokovic is ninth, meaning there are eight players who have already collected more points than the Serbian in 2024.