Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked tennis player, has withdrawn from the French Open due to a knee injury. This abrupt end to his title defense also means he will lose his current position at the top of the rankings.
In a social media post, Djokovic expressed his sadness at having to pull out of the tournament, stating that he played with his heart and gave his all in his previous match. However, after careful consideration and consultation with his team, they made the tough decision to withdraw due to a medial meniscus tear in his right knee.
The extent of Djokovic’s injury was revealed during an MRI exam on Tuesday. He suffered the injury during his grueling fourth-round victory against Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, which lasted five sets and over 4 1/2 hours. It was his second consecutive five-set match, with the total time on court exceeding 9 hours across the two matches.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, was set to face Casper Ruud, the runner-up in the past two years at Roland Garros, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Instead, Ruud will receive a walkover into the semifinals, where he will play against either Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur.
With both Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who holds a record 14 French Open titles, out of the tournament, a new champion will be crowned on Sunday. Among the remaining contenders is Jannik Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian who will replace Djokovic as the new world No. 1 next week after reaching the semifinals.
Sinner expressed his disappointment at seeing Djokovic injured and wished him a speedy recovery. This season has been challenging for Djokovic, who has a record of 18-6 and has not reached a final at any tournament.
The impact of this injury on Djokovic’s future remains uncertain, with Wimbledon starting in just a few weeks and the tennis competition at the Paris Olympics set to begin at Roland Garros on July 27.
U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, who reached the women’s semifinals, initially thought Djokovic would go on to win the title after seeing him struggle through his match against Cerundolo.
Djokovic revealed that his knee had been bothering him for a couple of weeks before the French Open, and he had been taking the maximum allowed dose of pain medication to manage the discomfort and inflammation. He questioned whether better court maintenance could have prevented his injury.
As the tennis world awaits more information on the severity of Djokovic’s injury and its potential impact on his career, the French Open continues without two of its biggest stars, leaving the door open for a new champion to emerge.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.