Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Monte Carlo Masters due to a persistent right shoulder injury, leaving the 38-year-old without a competitive match since his defeat at Indian Wells three weeks ago.
The two-time Monte Carlo champion had already missed the Miami Open with the same injury, and is now next scheduled to compete at the Mutua Madrid Open, with main-draw action running from April 22 to May 3.
The withdrawal marks only the second time Djokovic has skipped Monte Carlo, the first being 2011 when a knee injury kept him out.
Djokovic has not commented publicly on the withdrawal. His last match came at Indian Wells, where he pushed past Kamil Majchrzak and Aleksandar Kovacevic before falling to Jack Draper in a final-set tiebreak in the round of 16. After the match Djokovic said the effort of a 26-shot rally he won early in the third set left him running “completely out of gas.”
With Djokovic absent, the Monte Carlo field from April 5-12 will be led by defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. Djokovic sits seventh in the season win-loss standings at 7-2, having reached the Australian Open final in January before the shoulder began to limit him.
Some reports suggest the possibility of Djokovic skipping the entire clay season to be ready for the grass-court swing, though there has been no official confirmation from his camp.
