Tennis fans hoping to see Novak Djokovic back in action soon have had their hopes dashed, with the World No.1 confirming he’s skipping the Miami Open. Djokovic rarely plays both legs of the ‘Sunshine Double’ – Indian Wells and Miami – but his loss in the third round at Indian Wells sparked speculation he’d play in Miami as well.

The 24-time grand slam champion hadn’t played since the Australian Open before heading to Indian Wells this week, and the lack of match practice appeared to catch up to him. He suffered a shock 4-6 6-3 3-6 loss to ‘lucky loser’ Luca Nardi, who was only promoted to the main draw after an injury.

It marked the first time in Djokovic’s glittering career that he’s lost to a ‘lucky loser’. At World No.123, Nardi is the lowest-ranked player Djokovic has ever lost to at an ATP 1000 event.

Djokovic only played two matches at Indian Wells and hasn’t played much at all so far this year, leading to speculation he would enter the Miami Open next week. But on Thursday it was first reported that the Serbian star won’t be playing in Miami and has opted to end his hard-court season.

The 36-year-old confirmed the news on Saturday, saying: “At this stage of my career, I’m balancing my private and professional schedule. I’m sorry that I won’t experience some of the best and most passionate fans in the world.”