<p><em>The Serbian star withdraws from the 2026 Miami Open, forfeiting 650 ranking points and setting his sights on a clay court return at Monte-Carlo.</em></p><p>Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the 2026 Miami Open with a right shoulder injury, organisers confirmed on March 15, setting in motion a ranking slide that will push the Serbian out of the world's top three for the first time in recent memory.</p><p>The 38-year-old's exit comes days after a punishing fourth-round defeat to Britain's Jack Draper at Indian Wells. Djokovic clearly did not come through that match unscathed, and his camp has opted against aggravating the injury at a tournament beginning on March 17.</p><p>The withdrawal means he forfeits 650 ranking points from last year's Miami final, with the March 30 ATP ranking update expected to see Germany's Alexander Zverev move ahead of him.</p><h2>A Six-Time Champion Steps Aside in Miami</h2><p>Djokovic's record in Miami is remarkable - six titles and eight finals, making him the event's most decorated men's champion by a wide margin. He was the runner-up as recently as last year, falling to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in the championship match, and those 650 points now disappear from his tally entirely.</p><p>The ranking impact is particularly sharp given what Zverev is defending. The German reached the Indian Wells semi-finals this week but only needs to better a round-of-16 result from Miami in 2025, worth around 100 points. The net swing between the two players is enough to push Zverev past Djokovic in a single tournament cycle.</p><p>After his loss to Draper, Djokovic was generous in assessing the Briton's form. "He's been playing on a great level. He's playing really well. He's confident and he was always confident and physically very fit," Djokovic said, per Sky Sports.</p><p>The match at Indian Wells was a genuine grind against one of the most physically imposing players on tour, and the shoulder apparently paid the price.</p><h2>Monte-Carlo the Target as Clay Season Looms</h2><p>With Miami out of the picture, Djokovic is targeting a return at the Monte-Carlo Masters in mid-April - the traditional opening clay-court event of the European season. That timeline, reported by Sky Sports, gives him roughly four weeks to rest and rehabilitate before competition resumes on a different surface entirely.</p><p>The clay swing has historically served Djokovic well as a platform to rebuild momentum after injury-affected stretches.</p><p>His preparation through Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome feeds directly into Roland Garros, where his record among active players remains without peer. Whether he arrives at those events fully fit will depend on how the shoulder responds in the coming weeks.</p><p>The 2026 Miami Open runs at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens through to March 29, with the men's singles final scheduled for Saturday March 28 - 6:00am AEDT on Sunday March 29 for Australian viewers.</p>