Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal opt out of major ATP 500 event, giving Daniil Medvedev the top-seed spot

Novak Djokovic is enjoying the break with his family.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal opt out of major ATP 500 event, giving Daniil Medvedev the top-seed spot

(L-R) Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. (credits: Tennis365, Tennishead)

The men’s lineup for the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships was confirmed on Thursday, and not much to the surprise of the fans, both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal‘s names were missing from the list. Defending champion Daniil Medvedev has been given the top seed at the ATP 500 tournament, with his compatriot Andrey Rublev seeded second. 

Meanwhile, British tennis veteran Andy Murray has also gotten an entry but is unseeded. Other prominent names include Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, Russia’s Karen Khachanov, Kazakh ace Alexander Bublik, and American Sebastian Korda.

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While the absence of both Nadal and Djokovic is confirmed, the reasons behind it are still not known. Novak Djokovic had a heartbreaking exit from the 2024 Australian Open as she bowed out after losing to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. The Serbian has been busy spending time with his family since then, and that might be a reason for his absence. 

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For Nadal, it is speculated that his exhibition match with Carlos Alcaraz might be the reason behind the Spaniard giving the Dubai Tennis Championships a miss. There are possibilities that the 22-time Grand Slam champion gets a wildcard entry. Also, Nadal’s coach, Carlos Moya recently revealed the 37-year-old’s plan of action in the 2024 season.

Which tournament will Novak Djokovic play next?

With Novak Djokovic giving the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships a miss, fans have started guessing the Serbian’s next tournament.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Credits: India Today)

While there is no lead about which tournament Novak Djokovic will play next, the 37-year-old might return to action with the Indian Wells ATP 1000 event.

Novak Djokovic has been quite picky about which tournament he participates in. With the Serbian nearing his 40s, Djokovic is being extremely careful about his workload. The 36-year-old tries to best manage his workload, and hence the 24-time Grand Slam champion only plays at major tournaments. 

For example, last season, Djokovic started his season with the Adelaide International. He then played at the Australian Open and then directly played at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The 36-year-old then directly played at the Monte-Carlo Masters and a couple of more clay-court tournaments before playing at the French Open.

Djokovic then only played at ATP 1000 tournaments or major tournaments like the Davis Cup Finals and the ATP Finals. This season, he has so far played at the United Cup and the Australian Open. Now, as the Serbian has missed the Dubai Tennis Championships, Djokovic might play an ATP Masters event before moving to clay court.

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