Djokovic withdraws from Madrid Open while Nadal will face teen Blanch

Novak Djokovic, the world's top-ranked tennis player and a 24-time Grand Slam champion, has withdrawn from the Madrid Open this week, according to media reports.

His absence was confirmed when he was not included in the draw on Monday. This season, Djokovic has yet to win a title and has participated in only four tournaments, as he made the decision to reduce his schedule.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal, a veteran tennis great, will continue his comeback from injury in Madrid and will face 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in the first round.

Djokovic has now withdrawn from the Madrid Open three times in the past four years. However, there is still a possibility that he may appear in the Italian Open in Rome before defending his French Open title starting on May 26th.

Djokovic has been successful at the Madrid Open in the past, winning the tournament three times. This marks his second withdrawal from a Masters 1000 event this year, as he also skipped the Miami Open in March.

On Sunday, Djokovic attended Real Madrid's victory over Barcelona and is expected to attend the Laureus Awards in Madrid on Monday, where he is a contender for the Sportsman of the Year award.

In contrast, Nadal recently played at the Barcelona Open but was eliminated in the second round by Alex de Minaur in straight sets. If Nadal defeats Blanch, he will face De Minaur for the second week in a row in the second round.

Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion and second seed, expressed his hope of being fully fit to compete in Madrid after dealing with a forearm problem.

He will face either Alexander Shevchenko or Arthur Rinderknech in the second round. Jannik Sinner, currently ranked second in the world and the top seed in Djokovic's absence, will face either his Italian compatriot Lorenzo Sonego or a qualifier in the second round.