Novak Djokovic supported by wife in new job as he shares worrying news | Tennis | Sport

Novak Djokovic has been supported by his wife, Jelena, after presenting the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid. The 38-year-old was confirmed as the host of the event in Madrid, that took place on Monday evening, earlier this month alongside Olympic skier Eileen Gu with Jelena showing her support by sharing the announcement to Instagram with a red heart emoji.

The Serb, who would have hoped to be in the Spanish capital but instead for the Madrid Open, has been dealing with injury over the last few months but he issued a positive update on the red carpet. He said: “I’m doing everything in my power to recover and participate in Rome, but I can’t say anything now, it all depends on how fast the recovery from the injury progresses.”

The update from the world No.4 is somewhat concerning with his availability for the Italian Open, which kicks off in early May, in doubt. A return at Roland Garros later that month is the more likely scenario as he looks to claim a stunning 25th grand slam title.

Djokovic has not headed out on court since his Indian Wells quarter-final defeat to Jack Draper due to a shoulder injury back in mid-March. That tournament was won by Jannik Sinner with the Italian seemingly one of the only big names playing in Madrid this month.

Asked if he will be at the second grand slam of 2026, he said: “We will see. The next scan will be decisive, so we are doing everything possible to ensure everything goes well. I am trying to be patient.” The 22-year-old will be hoping he can feature at Roland Garros and also in Italy as he has 3000 ATP points to defend after winning the two tournaments last year.

Missing both could be particularly devastating for Alcaraz having recently lost his world No.1 ranking to Sinner. Though it could make his path to trophies easier, the 24-year-old wants to see him back in action sooner rather than later.

Sinner told Sky Sports: “He’s going through a not-so-easy moment right now, and I hope to see him back on the court as soon as possible, maybe even in Rome. As a competitor, I hope he’s there for Roland Garros too… Because when you want to win, you want to win against the strongest players in the world.”