Novak Djokovic withdrew from the Miami Open on Sunday, citing a right shoulder injury, and will not defend the title he chased to the final a year ago. The six-time champion had been scheduled to play at the second stop of the Sunshine Double but pulled out following a tough run at Indian Wells.

Djokovic was edged by Jack Draper at Indian Wells on Wednesday, losing in a decisive tiebreaker to the reigning BNP Paribas Open champion. That match followed his Australian Open run, where the 38-year-old ousted Jannik Sinner to reach the final. Through two hard-court appearances this season Djokovic is 7-2.

Because he will not defend his Miami points, Djokovic is set to lose 650 points from the rankings. Combined with Alexander Zverev defending only 100 points after a 2025 round-of-16 exit, that points loss will cause Djokovic to fall out of the Top 3 on March 30. Other players positioned to move ahead with deep runs at Hard Rock Stadium include Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur and Ben Shelton.

The timing of the withdrawal comes ahead of the European clay-court swing, where Djokovic has opportunities to regain ground. He enters the clay schedule with relatively little to defend: only 20 points across the three Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, offering a clear path to recoup rankings points on red clay.

Tournament organizers provided the update citing the shoulder issue. The withdrawal ends Djokovic’s bid at Miami for this year and reshapes the immediate rankings picture as the tour transitions from North American hard courts to the clay season.

Jannik Sinner reached a milestone at the BNP Paribas Open, advancing to his first opportunity to play for the tournament trophy with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Alexander Zverev. Sinner did not drop serve in the match and moved into his 10th career ATP Masters 1000 final.

Speaking to Steve Weissman and Prakash Amritraj after the win, the world No. 2 outlined how he will balance immediate recovery, match preparation and a personal interest off court. “Yes and no. For me, we’re all quite in shape to play a couple days in a row. You always go on court in any case. There is the tension. In the final days, it’s always very different.”

He added a lighter, personal note about a packed evening schedule. “It is also an important night, because there’s also the Formula 1. But it is at midnight, so it’s not ideal. So I might not watch it. Yesterday, there was the sprint race. I always try to find a way to see what I want to see.”

Sinner also spent time with Grammy Award winner Dua Lipa and her fiancé, actor Callum Turner, after his semifinal. At the time of his media session his opponent for Sunday’s final had been decided elsewhere on the draw.

With Medvedev handing Carlos Alcaraz his first defeat of the 2026 season, Sinner offered his assessment of Daniil Medvedev’s form: “He’s back to a very, very high level. Very big serve, I feel like. he’s returning very well. Very, very deep,” he said. “Everyone is trying to be slightly more aggressive. Sascha today tried to be more aggressive. He didn’t play his best tennis today, I feel like, but everyone is trying to push. And I think Daniil has found again a good balance on court, winning a title in Dubai, coming here, making again great results.”

Sinner will prepare to face Medvedev on what is forecast to be another hot day, aiming to convert this first shot at the BNP Paribas Open title into a championship.

Daniil Medvedev ended Carlos Alcaraz’s perfect start to the 2026 season with a straight-sets victory in the Indian Wells semifinals, defeating the world No. 1 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Alcaraz entered the match 16-0 for the year, but Medvedev produced the result that had eluded him since the 2023 US Open, registering his first win over Alcaraz since that major. The victory also marked his first triumph over a reigning No. 1 since he beat then-No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon in 2024.

Medvedev’s win sets up a title match against Sinner, who is currently ranked No. 2. Sinner advanced to the final after the earlier semifinal, in which he defeated Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4.

The outcome hands Medvedev a significant momentum shift at Indian Wells and denies Alcaraz a continuation of his unbeaten run to start the season. It also renews a high-stakes matchup for the title, with Sinner and Medvedev meeting for the championship on Sunday.