Defending champion Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the French Open ahead of his quarter-final match, citing a knee injury. The Serbian star underwent a scan on Tuesday after attributing the exacerbation of his injury to the “slippery” clay courts of Roland Garros during his fourth-round win the previous day. Djokovic, the tournament’s top seed, officially announced his withdrawal later that Tuesday. The 37-year-old was scheduled to face Norway’s seventh seed, Casper Ruud, in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Djokovic Withdraws from French Open Due to Knee Injury
Novak Djokovic has suffered a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, leading to his withdrawal from the French Open. “I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw,” Djokovic expressed, following a tough decision made with his team after thorough consultation. This injury dashes his hopes of clinching a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title on the Paris clay.
With this setback, Djokovic will relinquish his world number one ranking to Italy’s Jannik Sinner post-French Open. His prospects for participating in Wimbledon, where he holds seven titles, remain uncertain. The grass-court championships are scheduled to begin on July 1 at the All England Club, closely followed by the Paris 2024 Olympics at Roland Garros starting July 27. Winning Olympic gold remains a significant ambition for Djokovic, who has yet to achieve this milestone.
Djokovic Battles Through Knee Pain to Triumph
Before his match against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, Novak Djokovic had tape on his right knee and sought treatment early in the second set due to discomfort. Djokovic admitted to the physio that his knee was compromised, stating he had been “slipping and sliding all the time.” Despite the setback, he took painkillers and consulted the physio multiple times during the match. Remarkably, Djokovic demonstrated his exceptional resilience, winning the grueling five-set match 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 after more than four and a half hours. He acknowledged having slight knee discomfort for weeks, though it wasn’t a major concern until the match day. “The late finish affected my sleep, biorhythm, and recovery,” Djokovic remarked, “but the situation worsened when I slipped again, aggravating the pain.” He decided to continue playing in hopes that an additional anti-inflammatory would alleviate his symptoms, which ultimately allowed him to play through the pain and secure the victory.
Unexpected Developments at the French Open
Ruud, who was the runner-up in both 2022 and 2023, advances automatically to the semifinals, where he will face either Alexander Zverev of Germany, the fourth seed, or Alex de Minaur of Australia, the eleventh seed.
The departure of Djokovic from the competition guarantees a new champion for the French Open men’s singles. In another semifinal match, Sinner will play against either Carlos Alcaraz, the third seed from Spain, or Stefanos Tsitsipas, the ninth seed from Greece.
Sinner, aged 22, learned of Djokovic’s withdrawal during an on-court interview immediately after his victory over Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.
“Seeing Novak retiring is disappointing, and I wish him a speedy recovery,” Sinner expressed.
