Novak Djokovic withdraws from French Open in injury stunner
For the first time since 2015 and just the second time since 2004, the winner of the French Open won’t be Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.
Djokovic, the top seed, withdrew from the men’s singles tournament ahead of his quarterfinal matchup against No. 7-seed Casper Ruud, citing a knee injury that was later announced as a torn medial meniscus.
“I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros,” Djokovic wrote in a post on Instagram. “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.”
It was a shocking injury twist that also allowed Jannik Sinner, who won the Australian Open earlier this year for his first Grand Slam title, to slide into the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings.
After trailing 2-1 entering the fourth set and escaping with a win Monday, Djokovic hinted that he didn’t know his status for the remainder of the tournament — especially after taking an awkward fall during the final set.
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow — or after tomorrow, if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play,” Djokovic said. “You know, I hope so. Let’s see what happens.”
So instead of having a chance to defend his French Open title, which he clinched last year with a victory against Ruud, and win a fourth at Roland Garros, the torn meniscus continued a strange stretch for the 24-time Grand Slam winner.
When playing at the 2024 Italian Open last month, Djokovic was hit in the head with a water bottle that accidentally fell out of a backpack while signing autographs following his first-round match.
He showed up to practice the next day — and his next session signing for fans — with a bike helmet strapped to his head, and after losing in the following round, he revealed the “nausea” and “dizziness” that followed the night after getting hit with the bottle.
“That has really impacted me a lot,” Djokovic told reporters following his Italian Open loss, according to ESPN. “I managed to sleep OK. I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, was pretty fine, so I thought it’s OK. Maybe it is OK, maybe it’s not.
“The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It’s a bit concerning.”
To start the French Open, though, Djokovic didn’t lose a set until his third-round match against Lorenzo Musetti and survived in the next round against Francisco Cerundolo.
But that, after the torn meniscus, was where his latest tournament ended.
