Novak Djokovic, you know, the tennis ace? He’s pulled out of this year’s Miami Open. But hey, no sweat on his No. 1 ranking.
He was supposed to be the big cheese, the top seed at the second Masters 1000 tourney kicking off March 20th. Djokovic, along with a crowd of 96, was set to face off against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Quite the lineup, huh?
Now, Djokovic, a six-time champ in Florida, is probably gonna drop an official word on his no-show. Heard it through the grapevine—a reliable source confirmed it. His much-anticipated return to Miami since 2019? Gotta wait another year, folks.
Here’s the kicker. The news comes right after a bit of a stumble at Indian Wells. Djokovic, primed and ready as the top seed and a fave to clinch the BNP Paribas Open, faced a surprising defeat. Three sets and he was out, courtesy of Luca Nardi, the Italian underdog.
But Djokovic? Not one to make excuses after the upset. He was pretty upfront about his game being “really bad.” Yet, no need to hit the panic button just yet. He’s been down this road before.
Sitting pretty at 36, Djokovic still tops the ATP rankings. And he’s staying there till mid-April, at least. Missing the Sunshine Swing this year means no points lost.
He’s got 9,725 points in his kitty. Even if Alcaraz or Sinner snagged the Sunshine Double, they wouldn’t catch up to him in points.
Speaking of points, Alcaraz is set to drop 1,360 this March. Best he can do is bump his score to 9,445 points. Sinner’s in a similar boat, losing 720 points but could reach 9,550 by winning both Indian Wells and Miami.
So, with Djokovic’s throne safe for now, the spotlight’s on Sinner and Alcaraz. They’re duking it out for the No. 2 spot in a must-see semifinal in the desert. Talk about high stakes.
Takeaways
‣ Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Miami Open, yet his No. 1 ATP ranking will remain unaffected due to his current points lead and the fact that he did not compete in the Sunshine Swing in 2023.
‣ Despite a surprising third-round loss at Indian Wells, Djokovic remains critical of his own performance but is not panicking, as he has faced similar situations in his career before.
‣ Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are competing for the No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings, as Djokovic’s lead ensures his top position is secure until at least mid-April.