SAD NEWS: Novak Djokovic has announced his intention to step down as a tennis star due to…
Due to a knee injury, Djokovic has withdrawn from the French Open, placing Sinner at the top.
Djokovic posted on social media, saying, “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.”
His withdrawal was first announced by the tournament organizers, who claimed that an MRI scan earlier on Tuesday had shown the full extent of his condition.
In order to advance to the final four, world number one and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was scheduled to play Ruud on Wednesday. Ruud lost to Djokovic in straight sets at the Roland Garros final the previous year.
Ruud will now play either fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev or eleventh-seeded Alex de Minaur in Friday’s semifinals.
After defeating Francisco Cerundolo in five sets on Monday, Djokovic expressed doubts about his fitness and acknowledged that he needed anti-inflammatory medication to get through the match.
Djokovic defeated Cerundolo 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. He attributed his early second-set injury to the “slippery” Philippe Chatrier court.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to go out on the court and play tomorrow or the day after that. Well, I really hope so. “Let’s see what happens,” Djokovic remarked following his historic 370th Grand Slam victory.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve experienced what I would describe as mild soreness in my right knee, but nothing serious enough to worry about has injured me.
“I was playing a few tournaments with it and had no issues until today.”
After a physically taxing four hours and twenty-nine minute battle with Lorenzo Musetti in the third round, which ended at 3:07 am on Sunday morning, the French Open record for the latest conclusion ever, Djokovic was already at his limit.
Injury that could be avoided?
During the match against Musetti, he had voiced his dissatisfaction over the condition of the clay. He repeated this complaint in the final 16, urging more frequent sweeping of the court.
“Maybe this injury may have been avoided? Perhaps if the court was used a little more frequently,” Djokovic remarked.
Next week, Jannik Sinner, who withdrew from the French Open, will become the first Italian world number one.
Being the best player in the world is a goal shared by all players. Sinner wished Novak a quick recovery, adding that he was sorry to see him withdraw from the competition.
Sinner defeated 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in three sets to advance to his first Roland Garros semi-final shortly after Djokovic’s elimination from the championship.
Sinner, who was sure to overtake Djokovic should the latter lose in the Paris final, posed a challenge to the top-seeded Serbian player going into the competition.
A record 428 weeks have seen Djokovic at the top of the rankings.
His injury has made this season’s opening stretch the worst it has been since 2018, when he didn’t win a match until winning Wimbledon.
Adding to his troubles, he had stomach issues in Geneva last month after being unintentionally struck on the head with a metal water bottle in Rome.
When Djokovic had to withdraw from the 2019 US Open against Stan Wawrinka in the 16th round, it was his last Grand Slam retirement.
Now, he has to sprint against the clock to be ready for Wimbledon, which kicks off on July 1. Djokovic is one victory short of Roger Federer’s record at the All England Club, having won seven times there.
