Djokovic Withdraws from Miami Open with Shoulder Injury

Miami Gardens, Fla. Novak Djokovic, the six-time champion of the Miami Open, withdrew from the tournament on Sunday due to a right shoulder injury, tournament officials announced, dealing a blow to the event just as qualifying matches faced delays from rain and lightning.

The 38-year-old Serbian, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, had been set to defend the 650 ranking points he earned by reaching last year's final, where he fell to 19-year-old Czech player Jakub Mensik in straight sets. His absence means he will drop at least to fourth in the ATP rankings, behind Germany's Alexander Zverev. Djokovic's withdrawal came amid challenging weather that halted play entirely by midafternoon, with many qualifying matches rescheduled for Monday. The men's draw is expected to be released the same day.

Djokovic's decision follows a mixed start to the season. Earlier this year, he advanced to the Australian Open final in Melbourne, where he lost to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz. Last week at Indian Wells, California, he reached the fourth round in singles before falling to Britain's Jack Draper and made the second round in doubles alongside Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas. The shoulder issue appears...