Why has Novak Djokovic withdrawn from the French Open?
Djokovic’s withdrawal means Casper Ruud will progress straight to the semi-finals.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the French Open ahead of his quarter-final match.
Top seed and defending champion Djokovic was due to play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals on Wednesday (5th June).
Djokovic’s withdrawal means Ruud will automatically progress to the semi-finals.
The injury has ended his hopes of bagging a 25th Grand Slam title and will result in him losing the world No 1 ranking to Italian Jannik Sinner later this month.
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It remains to be seen what it will mean for his chances of competing at Wimbledon, where he is a seven-time champion.
So why has Djokovic withdrawn from the tennis tournament? Read on for everything you need to know.
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Why has Novak Djokovic withdrawn from the French Open?
Djokovic has pulled out of the tournament due to a medical meniscus tear in his right knee.
In a statement released on Instagram on Tuesday (4th June), Djokovic said: "I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros.
"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 after careful consideration and consultation."
He continued: "I wish the best of luck to the players competing this week and sincerely thank the incredible fans for all of the love and continued support."
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Djokovic had been dealing with a knee injury ahead of his victory over Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, in which he slipped on the court during the second set and received medical attention several times.
"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," Djokovic said after the game.
"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."
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
