World No 1 Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the French Open forward of his quarter-final match as a consequence of a knee damage.
High seed and defending champion Djokovic was scheduled to play Casper Ruud within the quarter-finals on Wednesday. Norwegian seventh seed Ruud will due to this fact progress straight to the semi-finals.
Djokovic’s withdrawal ends his quest for a record-extending twenty fifth Grand Slam trophy and can lead to him shedding the world No 1 rating to Italian Jannik Sinner later this month.
Roland Garros organisers stated: “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’s unclear how lengthy the damage will hold Djokovic out of motion and whether or not the Serb can be match for Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.
Djokovic had been coping with a knee damage for weeks and wanted anti-inflammatory tablets throughout Tuesday’s second set of his five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo.
The 37-year-old slipped on the court docket and commenced grimacing and rubbing his proper knee earlier than receiving medical consideration a number of occasions, telling the physio: “I screwed up my knee. I’m slipping and sliding all the time.”
4 video games later, having requested for the court docket to be swept, he complained to a event supervisor concerning the state of the floor, saying: “I’m telling you as a player, it’s not OK.”
After the sport, Djokovic stated: “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.
“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 ‘vastly disappointing’
Djokovic revealed after his last-16 victory he was not sure whether or not he would be capable to proceed on the event, though Sky Sports activities analyst Tim Henman was stunned 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 informed 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 favorite to win a record-extending twenty fifth 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 event 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.
“While you have in mind he [Djokovic] has performed two matches and has performed over 9 hours of tennis, and if you add to that very late into the evening, into the next morning, I believe that is placing an unlimited pressure on gamers bodily 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 activities Tennis and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
