Top-ranked Djokovic joins ailing Nadal in infirmary ahead of Madrid Open
3-time winner, who recently downplayed elbow issues, out due to fitness issue
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will miss the Madrid Open, apparently due to a fitness issue, the Spanish event said Saturday.
The Madrid Open said on Twitter: "Wishing you a speedy recovery, we hope to see you back on court as soon as possible, Nole."
While no specific reason was given for Djokovic's withdrawal, he did discuss issues with his elbow recently, mostly downplaying the extent of the problem.
Rafael Nadal, who shares the record of 22 Grand Slam titles with Djokovic, said this week that he would miss the Madrid tournament due to a nagging hip injury that has sidelined him since the Australian Open in January.
The next major is the French Open starting on May 28.
The 35-year-old Djokovic has had back-to-back early exits from tournaments. He lost in the round of 16 at Monte Carlo to Lorenzo Musetti. Then, on Friday, Dusan Lajovic beat Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Srpska Open, dealing him his first loss to a Serb countryman in 11 years.
The Madrid Open starts on Monday. Djokovic has won the tournament three times.
