Djokovic will turn 39 in just a few weeks’ time, and the older he’s gotten, he has been increasingly selective with his schedule. But the Madrid Open tournament director seems confident that the 24-time Grand Slam champion will return to competition at the Caja Magica next month.
Retired ATP star Feliciano Lopez heads up the tournament, and as of this year, he now shares the role with former WTA No. 1 Garbine Muguruza. And Lopez has now revealed that Djokovic intends to compete in Madrid, where he lost his opening match last year.
The Madrid Open boss told Radio Nacional Spain that Djokovic had “expressed his interest” in competing, and explained: “He’s keen to come to Madrid, that’s what I’ve been told. Obviously, we know Djokovic’s schedule lately is what it is. He has the ability to play very little and still be fighting for the big titles at almost 40 years old.
“What I think is that he’s keen to come to Madrid, so it’s one of his priorities of the clay court season, obviously after Roland Garros. We have to be very respectful of this because he plays so infrequently and chooses his tournaments so specifically and precisely… We have to be cautious, but if everything goes well, we’ll have Djokovic in Madrid too.”
Djokovic has won the Madrid Open six times, including in 2019. But since then, he has competed at the Caja Magica just twice. In 2022, Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the semis. Last year, he received a bye into the second round and was ousted by Matteo Arnaldi.
The world No. 4 has appeared on the early entry list for the Madrid Open, which was released on Monday. But Djokovic had also been on the initial entry list for the Monte Carlo Masters before pulling out.
The tournament announced the news of Djokovic’s withdrawal in an Instagram story last week. “Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the tournament. We send him our best wishes and hope to see him back on court very soon,” the statement read.
Looking ahead to the rest of the clay season, Djokovic could also prepare for the French Open by entering the Italian Open – a Masters 1000 event in Rome – or the ATP 250 event in Geneva, where he is the reigning champion. Last year, Djokovic skipped the Italian Open.
But he may not want to return to Geneva, as the tournament takes place the week before the French Open. Djokovic has made it clear that the Grand Slams are his priority, and playing so soon before Roland Garros could affect his preparations.