June 04, (THEWILL) – Novak Djokovic expressed deep sadness after being forced to withdraw from the French Open due to a knee injury sustained during his fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo. The 24-time Grand Slam champion sustained a medial meniscus tear in his right knee but battled through the pain to claim a five-set victory on Monday.
However, after careful consideration and consultation with his team, Djokovic made the tough decision to withdraw from the tournament ahead of his quarter-final clash with Casper Ruud.
“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.”
Djokovic’s withdrawal paves the way for Ruud to advance to the semi-finals, where he will face either Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur. More significantly, it means Jannik Sinner will become the new world number one, marking a historic first for an Italian player on the ATP Tour.
Sinner, who advanced to his first Roland Garros semi-final after defeating Grigor Dimitrov, acknowledged the bittersweet nature of his ascension to the top ranking. “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,” the 21-year-old said.
The injury extends Djokovic’s worst start to a season since 2018, and he now faces a race against time to be fit for Wimbledon, where he is a seven-time champion. The Serbian star last retired from a Grand Slam during the 2019 US Open due to a shoulder problem.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
