NEW DELHI:
Novak Djokovic
withdrew from the
French Open
on Tuesday, just before his scheduled quarter-final match against
Casper Ruud
. The decision came after the Serbian star sustained a knee injury during his previous match in Paris.
Djokovic's unexpected exit from the tournament was announced shortly before he was set to take the court against his Norwegian opponent.
The severity of the injury, which occurred in the round prior to the quarter-finals, ultimately forced the former world No. 1 to pull out of the competition.
"I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from
Roland Garros
," Djokovic wrote on social media.
"I played with my heart and gave my all in yesterday's match and unfortunately, due to a medial meniscus tear in my right knee, my team and I had to make a tough decision after careful consideration and consultation."
The organizers of the tournament initially declared Djokovic's withdrawal, stating that an MRI scan performed earlier on Tuesday had fully revealed the extent of his injury.
Djokovic, the world's top-ranked player and winner of 24
Grand Slam
titles, was scheduled to face Ruud on Wednesday in a quarterfinal match. In last year's Roland Garros final, Djokovic had defeated Ruud in straight sets.
Consequently, Ruud will advance to the semi-finals on Friday, where he will face either the fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev or the 11th-seeded Alex de Minaur.
Following his five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, the 37-year-old Djokovic had expressed uncertainty about his physical condition, acknowledging that he required anti-inflammatory medication to complete the match.
Djokovic attributed the injury he sustained early in the second set of his 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Cerundolo to the "slippery" surface of the Philippe Chatrier court.
"I don't know what will happen tomorrow or after tomorrow if I'll be able to step out on the court and play. You know, I hope so. Let's see what happens," Djokovic said after his record 370th win at a Grand Slam.
"For the last couple weeks I have had, I would say, slight discomfort, I would call it that way, in the right knee, but I haven't had an injury that would be concerning me at all.
"I was playing a few tournaments with it, and no issues until today."
Djokovic's physical endurance was pushed to the brink in the third round, as he battled through a marathon match against Lorenzo Musetti that lasted four hours and 29 minutes, setting a new record for the latest finish in French Open history at 3:07 am on Sunday.
During the match with Musetti, Djokovic expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of the clay court, and he reiterated his concerns in the round of 16, requesting that the court be swept more frequently to maintain its quality.
"Could this injury have been prevented? "Possibly, if there was just a little bit more of a frequent care of the court," Djokovic said.
Jannik Sinner is set to make history as the first Italian to claim the world number one ranking in tennis after Djokovic's sudden withdrawal.
"It's every player's dream to become number one in the world. On the other hand, seeing Novak retiring (from the tournament) is disappointing, so I wish him a speedy recovery," said Sinner.
Sinner secured his maiden semi-final appearance at Roland Garros shortly after Djokovic's unexpected departure from the tournament. The Italian rising star triumphed over Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, the 10th seed, in a three-set battle.
Djokovic entered the French Open with his world No. 1 ranking under threat from Sinner, who was assured of overtaking the Serbian if the latter failed to reach the final in Paris. The 36-year-old has held the top spot for an unprecedented 428 weeks.
The early exit marks Djokovic's most challenging start to a season since 2018, when his first title of the year came at
Wimbledon
. Compounding his difficulties, he was inadvertently struck on the head by a metal water bottle in Rome last month and experienced digestive issues in Geneva.
Djokovic's last retirement at a Grand Slam occurred during the 2019 US Open, when a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw against Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round. He now faces a tight timeline to recover for Wimbledon, which commences on July 1.
Djokovic has claimed seven titles at the All England Club, just one short of
Roger Federer
's record.
(With AFP inputs)
English (US) ·