World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the French Open ahead of his quarter-final match due to a ruptured medial meniscus in his right knee, tournament organisers said on Tuesday. The Serbian, who trailed Cerundolo by two sets to one and a break, conjured up more magic at the French Open, turning the tide and winning 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Novak Djokovic withdraws from French Open 2024
“Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan performed today), Novak Djokovic… has been forced to withdraw from the Roland-Garros tournament,” organisers said in a statement.
The quarter-finals featured top seed and defending champion Djokovic facing Casper Ruud. As a result, Ruud, Norway’s seventh seed, will advance directly to the semifinals. Ruud will go on to meet either Alex de Minaur or Alexander Zverev.
Check out more latest news on Tennis
Djokovic hinted at discomfort after win over Cerundolo
Djokovic’s five-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo on Monday raised questions about his condition. The Serbian was unclear how much he had to pay for his victory, and he answered gingerly when questioned about the knee injury he sustained at the opening of the second set of his fourth-round win.
“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,” said Djokovic in his post-match press conference. “I was playing a few tournaments with it, and had no issues until today.“
Editor's Pick
![EXCLUSIVE: Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli should've played Duleep Trophy, says Pragyan Ojha](https://d16f573ilcot6q.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/imago1028753180h-339x234.jpg)