World number two Novak Djokovic has pulled out of next week’s Miami Open due to an elbow injury.
The Serbian has won the tournament in five of the last six editions, including each of the past three, but he will not be present to defend his title this year.
Djokovic’s decision follows that of world number one Andy Murray, who has also been forced to withdraw from the tournament with a similar problem.
“I have some very disappointing news to share with you regarding the Miami Open tournament,” Djokovic wrote on Facebook.
“My doctor has strongly advised against playing because my elbow injury, that I keep carrying on for months, got worse in the past week.
“I will do everything in my power to recover and do all the necessary therapy to be able to return on court as soon as possible. Sadly, I won’t be able to defend my title in Miami this week.”
Djokovic, who has won a joint-record six titles in Miami, will subsequently fall around 4,000 points behind Murray in the ATP Tour rankings.
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