World No 1 Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the French Open ahead of his quarter-final match due to a knee injury.
Top seed and defending champion Djokovic was scheduled to play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. Norwegian seventh seed Ruud will therefore progress straight to the semi-finals.
Djokovic’s withdrawal ends his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam trophy and will result in him losing the world No 1 ranking to Italian Jannik Sinner later this month.
Roland Garros organisers said: “Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan performed today), Novak Djokovic, who was supposed to play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals tomorrow, has been forced to withdraw from the Roland-Garros tournament.”
It is unclear how long the injury will keep Djokovic out of action and whether the Serb will be fit for Wimbledon, which starts on July 1.
Djokovic had been dealing with a knee injury for weeks and needed anti-inflammatory tablets during Tuesday’s second set of his five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo.
The 37-year-old slipped on the court and began grimacing and rubbing his right knee before receiving medical attention several times, telling the physio: “I screwed up my knee. I’m slipping and sliding all the time.”
Four games later, having asked for the court to be swept, he complained to a tournament supervisor about the state of the surface, saying: “I’m telling you as a player, it’s not OK.”
After the game, Djokovic said: “For the last couple weeks I have had slight discomfort, I would call it, 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 had no issues until today.
Djokovic received treatment during his last-16 victory
“Of course, [the] late finish from a few nights ago didn’t help the sleeping, the biorhythm, and recovery. But I actually felt great coming into the match – as good as I could under the circumstances – and played really well first set. Then in the third game of the second set, I slipped, one of the many times that I slipped and fell today. That affected the knee.”
Henman: Djokovic withdrawal ‘hugely disappointing’
Djokovic revealed after his last-16 victory he was unsure whether he would be able to continue at the tournament, although Sky Sports analyst Tim Henman was surprised that he was unable to return for his quarter-final.
“We’ve seen in Australia a couple of times with the pulled stomach muscle that he kept talking about, but he kept playing and went on to win the tournament,” Henman told Eurosport. “He had a problem with his hamstring there and he kept playing. So for me, I just felt this like was precautionary.
Djokovic had been favourite to win a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title
“I very much expected him to bounce back, as we’ve seen so many times. It came as a huge shock to me. When you hear that there may be a tear in the meniscus – that’s a serious injury so that’s hugely disappointing for Djokovic.”
On the challenges of tournament scheduling, Henman added: “When some of these matches are finishing at two o’clock, three o’clock in the morning, it’s not good for the players and it’s not good for everyone. The scheduling is absolutely critical.
“When you take into account he [Djokovic] has played two matches and has played over nine hours of tennis, and when you add to that very late into the night, into the following morning, I think that’s putting an enormous strain on players physically and mentally.”
When is the next major?
Wimbledon will take place between July 1 and July 14.
Djokovic lost 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 in last year’s final to Carlos Alcaraz.
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
In the run-up to the third Grand Slam of 2024 – Wimbledon – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the grass-court season.
- Stuttgart Open (ATP 250 with Andy Murray in action) – June 10-16
- Rosmalen Open (ATP/WTA 250) – June 10-16
Watch the WTA and ATP Tours throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.