Novak Djokovic will play no further part at this year's Roland Garros because of a knee injury, and there are fears he might miss Wimbledon.
Djokovic's withdrawal from the 2024 French Open was announced by the tournament on Tuesday afternoon. He was scheduled to play Casper Ruud in the quarterfinal on Wednesday in a rematch of last year's final in Paris.
But that won't happen after Djokovic underwent an MRI scan that revealed he suffered from a torn meniscus on his right knee. He had a horrid time competing with the injury in the last two rounds, and he came close to an early elimination.
The injury worsened in the thrilling five-set win over Francisco Cerundolo, during which Djokovic complained to the tournament supervisor about the slippery court.
The 37-year-old fell multiple times during the match and requested that the trainer address the knee issue. He was handed some painkillers, which gave him instant relief.
He turned around the match and fought back from two sets to one down and a break deficit in the fourth set to prevail in five. After the match, he suspected he might withdraw from the quarterfinal and refused to commit.
It turned out to be a pyrrhic victory, given the damage to the knee, not just for the remainder of the 2024 Roland Garros but subsequent tournaments, which are crucial to Djokovic's season.
The withdrawal has also already impacted the top of the men's rankings. Djokovic, who needed to reach the final at least to keep the No. 1 spot, has now relinquished that position to Sinner, who will officially take over on Monday, June 10th.
Djokovic is now a major doubt to play at Wimbledon, which begins on July 1st. The grass-court major is less than four weeks away. There is also an Olympics coming in late July, where the Serbian has been hunting for a gold medal for a long time.
It's the one big title missing on his resume, and it would be a huge disappointment if the knee injury prevented him from competing for that accolade.
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