Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the French Open due to a knee injury, abruptly ending his title defense and his current tenure as the world’s No. 1-ranked player.
“I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros,” Djokovic announced on social media. “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.”
The extent of the injury was confirmed during an MRI exam on Tuesday. Djokovic sustained the injury during a fourth-round match against No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, which he won in five sets over more than 4 1/2 hours. This was his second consecutive five-set match, bringing his total court time over the two matches to more than 9 hours.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was scheduled to face No. 7 seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Instead, Ruud will advance to the semifinals by walkover, where he will compete against either No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 11 Alex de Minaur.
With Djokovic, who has three French Open titles, out of the competition and Rafael Nadal, the record holder with 14 French Open titles, eliminated in the first round, a new champion will be crowned on Sunday.
Remaining contenders include No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner, a 22-year-old Italian who defeated No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Tuesday to reach the semifinals. Sinner is now assured of becoming the new No. 1 in the ATP rankings next week. Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, will be the first Italian man to achieve the top ranking.
Sinner was unaware of Djokovic’s withdrawal until informed during an on-court interview after his victory over Dimitrov. “Seeing Novak (injured) is, for everyone, disappointing,” Sinner said, wishing Djokovic a speedy recovery. Reflecting on his upcoming status as No. 1, Sinner said, “It means a lot to me, for sure.”
Sinner will face No. 3 seed Carlos Alcaraz in Friday’s semifinals. Alcaraz advanced to the semifinals for the second consecutive year by defeating No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Alcaraz and Sinner have an even record against each other, having split their eight previous matches.
Discussing his upcoming match against Sinner, Alcaraz said, “Well, it’s a really difficult challenge. I’m not going to lie. Right now, he’s the best player in the world — or the player who is playing the best tennis right now. It is the match that everybody wants to watch.”
Djokovic, with a season record of 18-6 and no finals appearances, needed to reach the French Open final to maintain his record for most weeks at No. 1. The dominance of Djokovic, Nadal, and Roger Federer — known as the Big Three — has shaped men’s tennis for years, with a combined 66 major championships among them. Federer, now 42, is retired, and Nadal, who recently turned 38, is grappling with recurring injuries.
The duration of Djokovic’s recovery remains uncertain, as does the impact on his future career. Wimbledon, where he has won seven titles, begins on July 1, followed by the Paris Olympics starting at Roland Garros on July 27.
Coco Gauff, the U.S. Open champion who advanced to the women’s semifinals by defeating Ons Jabeur, commented on Djokovic’s match against Cerundolo, noting his physical struggles. Gauff, who will play No. 1 Iga Swiatek on Thursday, had thought Djokovic would go on to win the title after seeing him secure the victory against Cerundolo.
Djokovic’s knee had been troubling him for several weeks before the French Open, a fact he revealed only after his win against Cerundolo. During the second set on Monday, he aggravated the injury and required a medical timeout. Despite taking the maximum allowed dose of painkillers, the injury proved too severe to continue in the tournament.
Djokovic narrowly escaped defeat against Cerundolo, trailing two sets to one and down a break at 4-2 in the fourth set, before rallying to win the match. This victory marked his 370th in Grand Slam play, surpassing Roger Federer’s record. Djokovic attributed his injury to the condition of the clay court, which he believed was poorly maintained, affecting traction during play.
Despite securing a dramatic win, Djokovic’s injury forced a reassessment of his ability to continue in the tournament. As he stated on Monday, “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow — or, after tomorrow, if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play.”
