World No. 1 Novak Djokovic said Friday that he won’t play in the Miami Open, which begins on Tuesday.
Djokovic is still bothered by an abdominal injury he suffered in last month’s Australian Open and also cited coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
“Dear fans, I’m very sorry to announce that this year I won’t travel to Miami to compete,” Djokovic announced on Twitter. “I decided to use this precious time at home to stay with my family. With all restrictions, I need to find balance in my time on tour and at home. I look forward to coming back next year!”
Djokovic won his 18th career Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last month.
The Serbian’s absence leaves the event without all three of the sport’s biggest names. No. 3 Rafael Nadal (back) of Spain also pulled out earlier this week, while No. 6 Swiss Rodger Federer (knee) pulled out more than 2 1/2 weeks ago.
No. 4 Dominic Thiem of Austria also pulled out this week, saying he wanted to prepare for the upcoming clay-court season.
Russian Daniil Medvedev, who moved up to No. 2 earlier this week, will become the tournament’s top seed.
The championship match is slated for April 4.
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–Field Level Media