Andy Slater of Fox Sports reported that Novak Djokovic will not play the 2026 Miami Open due to a right shoulder injury. The tournament will start on March 15th with the qualifiers, though the final draw starts until March 19th. However, despite having those days of rest, the Serbian wonāt be able to recover.
Djokovic did play on Indian Wells and lost in the Round of 16 against Jack Draper in three sets. Djokovic won the first set, but then the British came back in full force to go through to the quarters.
Djokovicās shoulder looked fine in that game, but the stamina didnāt. Itās also important to remember that Djokovic is 38 years old. His physical prime is long gone. So, when matches drag and long points are in order, that hampers the Serbian quite a lot. By missing Miami, he will be able to recover not only his shoulder, but physically too.
Djokovicās history in the Miami Open
Djokovic is the most decorated tennis player of all time. The ATPās greatest has, of course, incredible feats in the Miami Open. Djokovic has won a record-tying six Miami Open titles. He won the 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 editions. Hence, by missing this tournament, he wonāt be able to surpass the legendary Andre Agassi.
Djokovic also had the chance last year, where he was a finalist, but lost to Jakub Mensik in a double tie-break game, 6-7, 6-7. With Djokovicās career winding down, it remains to be seen if he will be able to win a seventh Miami Open title.
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Who are the biggest candidates to win the 2026 Miami Open?
Both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will play, which means they are the two guys to beat in the tournament. They are undoubtedly the best two players in the world right now. Alcaraz suffered an upset straight-sets loss to Daniil Medvedev at the Indian Wells semifinals. Hence, he will come back with a vengeance.
However, this also puts Medvedev as one of the names to watch, since he is playing at a high level, and the hardcourt serves him best due to his unorthodox style. Alex Zverev is also playing. While the tournament will miss Djokovic, the field is stacked.
