Defending champion Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday due to an injured right knee, ending his title defence and meaning the Serbian star will lose the No. 1 ranking.
The tournament announced that Djokovic has a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. The depth of the injury was discovered during an MRI exam the day after Djokovic was injured in a fourth-round triumph over No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo that lasted five sets and more than 4 1/2 hours.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was scheduled to meet two-time French Open runner-up Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Instead, Ruud receives a walkover into the semifinals, where he will face No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 11 Alex de Minaur.
Djokovic’s knee had been troubling him for a few weeks before he arrived at Roland Garros, but he kept it to himself until after the win over Cerundolo. Djokovic had a medical timeout early in the second set on Monday after tweaking his knee. A trainer treated the joint then and throughout following changeovers, and Djokovic took the highest dose of medications authorized by the tournament doctor to alleviate the discomfort and inflammation.
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow – or after tomorrow, if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play,” the 37-year-old Djokovic said after Monday’s win. “You know, I hope so. Let’s see what happens.” He needed to return to the title match in Paris to keep his ATP rankings lead. With his retirement, he will be replaced by current No. 2 Jannik Sinner, an Italian who played his quarterfinal on Tuesday. As the defending champion, Djokovic’s bid to defend his title at this year’s French Open has ended. All of the men’s tennis players remaining in the competition have never won the French Open, meaning a new winner will be proclaimed regardless of who wins.