Paris: Novak Djokovic’s knee injury scare forced him out of the French Open on Tuesday, while reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek cruised into the semi-finals with a ruthless performance.
Carlos Alcaraz gave a convincing reminder of his Roland Garros name credentials after Djokovic’s withdrawal confirmed a new name at the men’s title.
World number one and 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic withdrew after suffering a torn medial meniscus in his right knee ahead of his quarter-final against Casper Ruud.
Djokovic, 37, blamed the Roland Garros court for exacerbating the problem in the last 16 victory on Monday.
“I am very sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros,” Djokovic said on social media.
“After careful consideration and consultation, my team and I have come to a tough decision.”
Ruud, who lost to Djokovic in last year’s final, will win a walkover and will play Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur in Friday’s semifinals.
Djokovic’s injury out of the tournament means Jannik Dosa will be number one in the sport next week in Italy.
For the first time since 2004, the men’s final will not feature Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.
Second seed Sinner reached his first Roland Garros semi-final with a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) win over Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov shortly after news broke of Djokovic’s withdrawal.
“It’s every player’s dream to be number one in the world. On the other hand, it’s disappointing to see Novak retire (from the competition), so I hope he recovers quickly,” said Sinner.
The Australian Open champion faces a clash with Alcaraz, a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 winner in a repeat of last year’s quarter-finals.
Alcaraz looked more confident in Paris after a marred campaign and has won all six of his meetings with Tsitsipas.
The 21-year-old Spaniard is aiming to add to his Wimbledon title a year ago and the US Open crown in 2022 to become the youngest man to win three Grand Slam titles.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge for me, but I’m ready to take on the challenge,” Alcaraz said of facing Sinner.
“This is a game everyone wants to watch… Let’s see who wins.”
The pair split their previous eight matches, with Alcaraz winning in five sets in the US Open quarterfinals in their last meeting two years ago.
