Former world No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic continues to struggle with the injury problems that forced him to miss recent tournaments. On Friday, he announced he will not feature at next week's Madrid Open (April 22-May 3), one of the final stops before the French Open.

The 38-year-old Serb has played only two tournaments this year - the Australian Open in February and Indian Wells in March - raising concerns about his fitness ahead of the French Open, which begins in Paris in about a month. Djokovic, who has been struggling with a shoulder issue, wrote in a post on X: "Madrid, unfortunately, I won't be able to compete this year. I'm continuing my recovery in order to be back soon."

Djokovic told Spanish broadcaster Movistar+ at a EuroLeague basketball game in Madrid on Thursday that he was "struggling physically a little bit with an injury" but expressed hopes of playing in the tournament. The tennis player, now ranked fourth in the ATP rankings, lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final in February and withdrew from the Doha Open later that month due to fatigue.

In March, Djokovic fell to Jack Draper in the Indian Wells fourth round before skipping the Miami Open in the same month due to a right shoulder injury. The 24-time Grand Slam champion then missed last week's Monte Carlo Masters before arriving in Spain to begin preparations for the Madrid Open.

The draw for the Madrid Open - where Djokovic is a three-time champion - will be held on Monday. Djokovic is next scheduled to compete at the Italian Open in Rome (May 6-17), before bidding for a record 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open, which begins on May 24.

Source: www.aljazeera.com