This year again, Novak Djokovic will not see the Florida sun for the Masters 1000 in Miami, where he has not set foot in a tournament since 2019. After his surprising setback in the 3rd round of Indian Wells against the Italian Nardi (123rd in the ATP), the world No. 1 preferred to skip the end of the American tour to return to Europe and prepare for the start of the clay court season.
The Serbian, resident of Monaco, will return to the circuit not far from home at the beginning of April for the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo.
The Belgrade native, who will be 37 in May, chose to skip an event that he has already won six times (the last in 2016) to begin his quest for a 25th Grand Slam at Roland-Garros.
For the moment, his results are far from the extraordinary standards to which he had accustomed his rivals.
Idemooo đź’Ş #IndianWells @bnpparibasopen #Nolefam where are you?
pic.twitter.com/4a9Z6FiXPM
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 11, 2024
Since the start of the season, Djokovic has only played two tournaments (Australian Open and Indian Wells) without ever reaching the final.
He will therefore not have won any titles in 2024 when he attacks the ascent of the Rock.
An exercise that has not been very successful for him in recent years.
Monte-Carlo is also the Masters 1000, where he has least registered his name in the prize list (2013 and 2015) and he has not made better than two quarter-finals for nine years... “I think that each trophy that will present himself to me now will be appreciable, he slipped after his defeat in California.
To break this sort of somewhat negative cycle for three, four tournaments where I have never really been close to my best level.
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In 2023, the ATP boss had barely shone before appearing in Paris at the end of May.
In three preparation tournaments, he had not been able to do better than a quarter-final in Rome.
Which did not prevent him from lifting his 3rd Coupe des Mousquetaires…