World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have both withdrawn from the Mutua Madrid Open due to injuries. Alcaraz is still recovering from a wrist injury, while Djokovic is dealing with a lingering shoulder issue. The Spanish player was forced to withdraw from the Barcelona tournament before his next match and will now miss the biggest event in his home country, which starts on April 21.
Alcaraz expressed his disappointment on social media, stating that it hurts him to not be able to play in Madrid for the second year in a row. With Alcaraz out, Jannik Sinner is likely to be the top seed at the French Open and may become the new world No. 1 until the end of Wimbledon.
Djokovic, who lost to Alcaraz in the Australian Open final, has been struggling with a right shoulder injury that forced him to miss recent events in Miami and Monte Carlo. The 38-year-old Serb announced on Instagram that he won't be able to participate in the Madrid Open, saying he's continuing his recovery to be back soon.
Other players who have withdrawn from the Madrid Open include Taylor Fritz, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Britain's Jacob Fearnley. The draw for the event is set for Monday. Meanwhile, Rafael Jodar earned his second consecutive win against Cameron Norrie in the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open, extending his winning streak to eight matches. The 19-year-old Spaniard will try to reach his second tour-level final on Saturday when he takes on ninth seed Arthur Fils.