Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the Mutua Madrid Open due to ongoing injury concerns. Alcaraz, ranked second in the world, continues to recover from a wrist injury, while Djokovic is managing a persistent shoulder issue that has hindered his recent performances. The Spanish player was forced to seek medical attention during his first-round win over Otto Virtanen in Barcelona and subsequently withdrew from the tournament. He has now been compelled to miss the Madrid Open, a significant tournament in his home country, which is set to commence on April 21 and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Tennis.

In a social media post, Alcaraz expressed his disappointment, stating that Madrid is a special place for him and that it pains him to miss the event for the second consecutive year. His absence means Jannik Sinner is likely to become the top seed at the French Open and potentially retain the world number one ranking until the end of Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic has also announced his withdrawal from the Madrid Open, citing his ongoing recovery from injury. The 38-year-old Serbian player has been dealing with a right shoulder injury that forced him to miss recent events in Miami and Monte Carlo. Despite initiating his preparations for the Madrid Open, Djokovic declared on social media that he would be unable to participate, stating that he needs more time to recover. Other players, including Taylor Fritz, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Britain's Jacob Fearnley, have also withdrawn from the tournament.

Djokovic will now focus on his recovery in pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title at the French Open, which begins on May 24. Meanwhile, Britain's Jack Draper is racing against time to regain fitness for the event in Madrid after retiring from his first match in Barcelona with a knee injury.

In other tennis news, Rafael Jodar secured his second consecutive win against Cameron Norrie in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open, defeating the Briton 6-3, 6-2 to extend his winning streak to eight matches. The 19-year-old Spaniard will attempt to reach his second tour-level final when he faces ninth seed Arthur Fils in the semi-finals.

Katie Boulter, meanwhile, suffered a straight sets loss to Veronika Podrez in the quarter-finals in Rouen.