Novak Djokovic supported by wife Jelena as tennis star shares worrying news

Novak Djokovic turned up in Madrid this week for the Laureus World Sports Awards with his wife Jelena, but not for tennis.

The 38-year-old Serb co-hosted the prestigious ceremony alongside Olympic skier Eileen Gu and sports journalist Amanda Davis on Monday, and while walking the red carpet, he gave the most candid assessment yet of where things stand with his injury.

"I have an injury, and I hope to be ready at least for Roland Garros," Djokovic told Eurosport and Teledeporte.

"I'm working to get to Rome, but I can't make a prediction now because it depends on the progress of the injury. At least for Roland Garros, I'm ready."

It was not the confident update his supporters were hoping for. Although he stopped short of ruling out the Italian Open, the tone of his remarks suggested his participation at the Rome Masters remains far from certain.

Roland Garros, which begins on May 24, appears to be the realistic minimum target.

Djokovic has been dealing with a right shoulder injury sustained during his fourth-round loss to Jack Draper at Indian Wells in March.

Since then he has withdrawn from four consecutive events: the Miami Open, the Monte Carlo Masters, the Barcelona Open and now the Madrid Open. His last match on tour was that defeat by Draper over six weeks ago.

The decision to skip Madrid was announced on social media a few days before the tournament's draw.

"Madrid, unfortunately I won't be able to compete this year. I'm continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!" he wrote.

The withdrawal was a blow to the tournament, where Djokovic is a three-time champion and one of the most popular figures in Spanish tennis history.

Despite the injury, he has been putting in training sessions on clay at the Puente Romano club in Marbella in recent weeks, suggesting some level of physical progress.

His presence in Madrid for the Laureus ceremony, and the optimism in his voice when mentioning Roland Garros, offered a degree of encouragement to those monitoring his recovery.

"Obviously, this event here tonight is one of my favourite events of the year because I have the opportunity to interact with all the legends of other sports," Djokovic said on the red carpet.

"I also have a different role this year with Eileen Gu. We're presenting, which is really nice."

The injury concerns arrive at a difficult time in the season. Djokovic has played only two tournaments in 2026 so far: a run to the Australian Open final in January, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz, and an Indian Wells campaign that ended in the fourth round.

With the French Open now his primary target, he has very little competitive preparation behind him on clay.

His ranking situation is also worth monitoring. Currently fourth in the world, he holds only 10 ranking points to defend before the French Open seeding cutoff, but Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime are both within striking distance.

If Djokovic misses Rome as well, his seeding position at Roland Garros could come under pressure.

The Laureus appearance at least showed that Djokovic is in good spirits despite the frustrating stretch.

He spoke warmly about the ceremony and the opportunity to spend time with athletes from other sports, and the smile on his face contrasted with the difficult months he has endured on the court.