Novak Djokovic pulls out of $1.1 million tournament as statement released
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the the Miami Open following his loss to British star Jack Draper at Indian Wells.
On Thursday, British no.1 Draper secured a major upset win over 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic in a gruelling two-and-a-half hour match to keep his hopes of retaining his Indian Wells title.
Unfortunately, following the 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) win over the tennis legend, Draper lost to Daniil Medvedev in the last eight of the tournament in Miami.
Following the event, it was expected that both Draper and Djokovic would be among the top players taking part in the Miami Open, a 15-day event taking place at the Hard Rock Stadium.
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However, it has now been confirmed that the Serbian will not be present at the tournament after losing in the final last year.
In the final moments of his match with Draper at Indian Wells, Djokovic appeared to be exhausted as he struggled to keep up with the 24-year-old's pace.
And now, it's been confirmed that the brutal match has led to him suffering a right shoulder injury that has ruled him out of the Miami Open.
Confirming the news in an official statement, the ATP Tour wrote: "Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the Miami Open presented by Itau due to a right shoulder injury.
"The Serbian star competed in Indian Wells, where he reached the fourth round in singles and the second round in doubles with Stefanos Tsitsipas. A finalist at this year's Australian Open, Djokovic is now 7-2 in singles this season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index."
Djokovic has won the Miami Open six times and has made the final eight times, including last year when he finished runner-up to Jakub Mensik.
His withdrawal from the tournament could lead to him losing his spot as no.3 in the world rankings with Germany's Alexander Zverev, who reached the semi-final in Indian Wells, currently set to overtake him in the ATP rankings.
The draw for the men's tournament at the Miami Open will be made on Monday, with Draper among those set to discover their opponents.
Speaking after his loss to the British talent, Djokovic had nothing but good words to say about his rival.
"I've watched him a little bit, had some highlights in Dubai that he has played there a few matches. And here, defending champion, he really likes the conditions and suiting his game. And you could see that," the Serbian admitted.
"He's playing really well. He's confident and he was always confident and physically very fit."
Topics: Novak Djokovic, Tennis, Injury
Ben McCrum