The French Open has announced that the defending champion and men’s top seed, Novak Djokovic, has had to withdraw from the Grand Slam tournament due to a knee injury. Djokovic sustained the injury during his last match against Francisco Cerundolo, a match that saw the Serbian star make a dramatic comeback to secure a five-set victory.
However, Djokovic’s right knee injury left him in doubt about his ability to continue in the Grand Slam. The tournament officials have now confirmed his withdrawal. This development advances Ruud to the semi-finals and paves the way for Jannik Sinner to become the new ATP world No. 1, marking the first time an Italian male player has achieved this feat.
After his match on Monday, Djokovic had a scan that revealed a “torn medial meniscus” in his right knee. Djokovic engaged in intense discussions with the umpire and a supervisor about the court conditions during his four hours and 39 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier. He felt the court was slippery and mentioned in his post-match press conference that the conditions were unusual.
“We cannot treat these conditions as common,” Djokovic said. “They are not common. We’ve had bad weather for days, maybe a week, which has affected the court. I know the ground staff are working hard, and I’m not criticizing their efforts. They’re doing their best. I’m just trying to understand if a player feels a certain way, then why wait for something to happen?
Djokovic has withdrawn from Roland-Garros due to a right knee injury.
AdvertisementWishing Novak a speedy recovery 🧡 pic.twitter.com/Ilb6HynTzw
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2024
“Today, I injured myself. Yes, I won the match, which is great. But can I play the next one? I don’t know. I don’t know how severe the injury is. But could this injury have been avoided? Possibly, if the court was looked after a bit more frequently during the set. That’s all I’m asking for.”
