World no. 1 Novak Djokovic has pulled out of this year’s French Open. This means there will be a new champion this year at the Rolland-Garros. Djokovic will also lose his No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings.
Djokovic suffered a knee injury in 2nd set during his fourth-round clash against Francisco Cerundolo on Monday. He needed immediate treatment and was seen taking painkillers. Despite the difficulties, the Serbian survived a grueling battle winning in 5 sets 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
However, the recovery has not gone as planned for the 24 Grand Slam winner as he has withdrawn from the tournament following a “torn medial meniscus” on his right knee revealed by an MRI exam on Tuesday.
“I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros,” Djokovic posted “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. 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,” he added.
Djokovic was set to face Casper Ruud in the quarter-final. Now that Serbian has withdrawn, the Norwegian will receive a walkover into the semi-final where he will face the winner of Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur.
The World No.1 was the favorite to lift his 25th grand slam but his withdrawal has thrown the tournament wide open. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannick Sinner will face off in the semi-final and the winner of that battle would be a clear favorite to lift the crown.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev would also fancy his chances to go all the way as he faces Alex De Minaur of Australia in the quarter-final. Casper Ruud, who was scheduled to play Djokovic in the quarter-finals, got a direct passage to the semi-final and would look to go one better this time around after 2022 and 2023 French Open final defeats.
Djokovic will now have to turn his attention towards Wimbledon which starts on July 1. The Serbian will be chasing his 25th Grand Slam title and his 8th on the grass. He will once again be the favorite at Wimbledon but the competition is growing for the 37-year-old amid the continuous rise of new young stars.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
