Novak Djokovic is suffering from a knee injury. Jannik Sinner will become world number one next Monday.
Number one in the world tennis rankings Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open.
Djokovic’s right knee bothered him in yesterday’s fourth round match Francisco Cerundolo against, but with the help of painkillers he overcame it in five sets. Also Djokovic’s previous match Lorenzo Musetti against was a five-rounder and ended after three in the morning.
Djokovic said the knee had been bothering him for a couple of weeks, and the problem worsened when he slipped in a match against Cerundolo. He has criticized the Roland Garros courts as slippery.
Djokovic had an MRI scan on Tuesday. A tear was found in the meniscus of his right knee.
– I am sad to announce that I am withdrawing from the tournament. “My team and I had to make a difficult decision after careful consideration and consultation,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic’s withdrawal means that the Italian Jannik Sinner is the new world number one in the world list that will be published next Monday. Sinner advanced to the semi-finals today by winning Grigor Dimitrov directly in three installments. Sinner becomes the first Italian number one in the world rankings.
Norwegian Casper Ruud reaches the semifinals thanks to Djokovic’s withdrawal. There will be a new champion at the French Open, as none of the players still participating have won at Roland Garros.
Djokovic, 37, has won a record 24 Grand Slams and a total of 98 ATP tournaments. However, this year has been difficult for Djokovic. He has not won any tournament.
The injury also raises questions about the next Grand Slam tournament, Wimbledon. Wimbledon starts on July 1st.