Novak Djokovic Expected to Play in Madrid Open Tournament Director Confirms Strong Desire to Participate

March 31, 2026, according to foreign media reports, Madrid Open tournament director Feliciano López revealed that tennis legend Novak Djokovic is eager to compete in this year's clay-court Masters event. This also signals a key return for the Serbian star to a major clay tournament after multiple withdrawals.

The 38-year-old, world No. 4 Djokovic has played very sparingly so far in 2026, participating only in the Australian Open and Indian Wells. After reaching the Australian Open final, he was stopped in the fourth round at Indian Wells, subsequently withdrawing from the Miami Open and Monte Carlo Masters, missing two of the first three ATP 1000 Masters events this year.

Although Djokovic has significantly streamlined his tournament schedule in recent years, nearing 40 he still contends for top titles with limited appearances. However, his connection with the Madrid Open has been thin lately. As a three-time champion (2011, 2016, 2019), since his 2019 win he has only played twice: the 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic, he skipped 2021, reached the semifinals in 2022, withdrew consecutively in 2023 and 2024, and returned in 2025 but surprisingly exited in the second round.

López stated in an interview with Spanish National Radio that he has learned Djokovic is very eager to play the Madrid Open, which is his key clay-season event after Roland Garros. He also emphasized that Djokovic is extremely cautious in selecting tournaments, so while cautious optimism is needed, if all goes well, Djokovic will appear at the Madrid event starting April 20.

Currently, Djokovic is already listed in the Madrid Open entry list released this week, where he will compete alongside top players like Alcaraz and Sinner, making this clay tournament even more compelling.

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