MIAMI: World number one Novak Djokovic said Friday he won’t be playing at the ATP Miami Open, joining fellow Grand Slam legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in skipping next week’s event.

The current records put him third on the all-time men’s list behind the 20 Slam titles owned by Swiss star Federer and Spaniard Nadal, who will try to defend his French Open title in the next Slam showdown on the red clay of Roland Garros.

“Dear fans, I’m very sorry to announce that this year I won’t travel to Miami to compete,” Djokovic tweeted Friday.

Djokovic, a six-time Miami champion, cited the global travel issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and his desire to balance events and family life.

“I decided to use this precious time at home to stay with my family,” he said.