Novak Djokovic withdrew from Roland Garros 2024 after suffering a knee injury during his fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo on Monday.
Djokovic will play Kasper Ruud in the quarter-finals of the tournament on Wednesday and was forced to withdraw after undergoing a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan on Tuesday.
A scan revealed a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, which could put him in doubt for the next Grand Slam at Wimbledon, which begins on July 1, as he may need surgery.
The Serbian will also lose his No. 1 spot.
Djokovic is eyeing a record 25th Grand Slam and fourth French Open, but the Serb will have to wait at least another year for his fourth Roland Garros title, and he is 38 years old.
When Djokovic won against Curendolo, he ran off the court after a medical timeout at the start of the second set. The 37-year-old didn’t stop and went into the race after taking painkillers.
“I have felt discomfort in the last two weeks, I called my right knee, but it is not injured,” said Djokovic in the press conference after the match.
“Of course, sleeping late a few nights before did not help the biorhythm and recovery. But actually I felt very good about the match – as good as I was in that situation – and I played a very good first set. Then in the third game of the second set, I slipped and fell many times today. It affected his knees.
With Djokovic out of the French Open, it will be interesting to see how long it takes him to recover from his injury when Wimbledon starts on July 1.
