Full list of players who have withdrawn from Madrid Open 2024

Published at :April 24, 2024 at 12:11 AM

Modified at :April 24, 2024 at 9:50 PM

(Courtesy : X (Formerly Twitter))

Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the tournament due to unspecified reasons.

There is a long list of hopefuls among the alternates crowding the doors and looking for a way into the main draw of the Mutua Madrid Open 2024. The withdrawal of more than a handful of players from the ATP Masters event gives those waiting in the wings an opportunity to play at the premier event.

The Mutua Madrid Open main draw begins on 24th May, with the qualifying rounds taking place two days earlier.

The players who have withdrawn from the Madrid Open for varied reasons, both medical and non-medical are listed here:

Novak Djokovic

The World No. 1 from Serbia has decided to sit out the Madrid Open for unspecified reasons. Djokovic was on the entry list and was to be the top seed.

Djokovic’s withdrawal from the event, serving as a warm-up to Roland Garros is his second after the Miami Masters. The Serbian is in the middle of a dry spell, having last lifted a title at the Nitto ATP Finals in November last year. Djokovic is also a three-time winner in Madrid, having won the title in 2011, 2016 and 2019.

Arthur Cazaux

Frenchman Arthur Cazaux withdrew from the Madrid Open due to an ankle injury sustained during the first set of his match against Matteo Arnaldi in Barcelona.

Cazaux was to make his first main draw appearance at the 2024 edition. After his tumble in Barcelona, Cazaux is likely to be sidelined for quite a while.

Andy Murray

Andy Murray, a two-time Madrid Open champion (2008, 2015) sustained an ankle injury in his third round match against Tomas Machac in Miami.

The British former World No. 1 has given no timeline for his return in what is his last season on the ATP Tour.

Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic has been coping with an injury-ridden few years. The 2014 US Open winner has pulled out of the Madrid Masters as well.

Cilic has not walked onto a tennis court since the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires. There has been no word from the former World No. 3 on a possible return to competitive tennis.

Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori, a one-time top 10 player was given a wildcard for the Mutua Madrid Open. The 34-year-old took to Twitter last week to announce his decision not to play at the Masters event.

The Japanese did not turn up for the Barcelona Open either. Nishikori was the first Asian finalist when he made the title clash at the 2014 US Open.

Laslo Djere

Laslo Djere is the other Serbian, along with Novak Djokovic, to announce his decision not to play in Madrid. Djere’s best performance in Madrid came in 2019 when he reached the Round of 16.

In his most recent outing, he retired when playing his first round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round at Monte-Carlo. He had to quit midway through because of an issue with his right arm.

Mackenzie McDonald

Mackenzie McDonald has largely been inactive on tour this year. He last played at the Australian Open earlier this year, losing his opening round match against Juncheng Shang in five sets.

McDonald played in the Madrid main draw last season, where he made a first round exit. His other two appearances in Madrid in 2019 and 2022 ended in the qualifying rounds.

Matteo Berrettini

Former Madrid finalist Matteo Berrettini announced his decision to withdraw just before the draw. Berrettini made the finals in 2019 but since then has failed to replicate the success on the Masters calendar.

He lifted the title at the ATP 250 event in Morocco in the 2024 season, his first since 2022.

Belinda Bencic

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic is on a maternity break. She made her pregnancy public in November 2023 and will be away from the tour for the better part of 2024. The closest Bencic came to winning in Madrid was in 2019 when she made the semifinals.

The 27-year-old is the winner of an Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, beating Marketa Vondrousova to take the biggest win of her career.

Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova’s return to active tennis is still some way off. Kvitova also misses out due to pregnancy. Kvitova announced her pregnancy on the first day of January 2024.

The Czech is a three-time champion in Madrid, winning in 2011, 2015 and 2018. She also made the semifinals in 2014.

Karolina Muchova

Karolina Muchova’s reason for staying away from Madrid is her wrist injury. She underwent surgery on her right wrist in February this year.

The injury has left her sidelined since the 2023 US Open in early September. Muchova’s best result in Madrid is the quarterfinal appearance in 2021.

Simona Halep

Simona Halep will not be playing at the Madrid Open. The two-time Mutua Madrid Open champion was given a wild card for the WTA 1000 event. Halep, who is on her comeback trail after being cleared of doping charges, feels she needs more time to be ready before returning to the tour.

The Romanian is a two-time champion in Madrid, winning in 2016 and 2017, besides making an appearance in the finals in 2014 and 2019.

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