French Open 2024: Novak Djokovic withdraws due to knee injury; Jannik Sinner set to be crowned World No. 1

Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the ongoing French Open 2024 due to a knee injury. The Serb, who is the defending champion, pulled out a day ahead of his quarterfinal match against Casper Ruud.

With Djokovic not defending his points at the French Open, Jannik Sinner will be crowned the new World No. 1 when the latest rankings release on Monday next. Sinner will become the first Italian player to be ranked number one in the world.

Djokovic struggled with his knee during his marathon fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round and needed two medical time-outs during the course of the match.

It was the second time in the tournament that Djokovic was playing a five-setter after his third round match against Lorenzo Musetti.

After the match, Djokovic, along with his medical team, discovered a torn medial meniscus in his right knee after an MRI scan and that meant the Serb had to withdraw from the ongoing clay court Grand Slam.

The French Open organisers, in a statement, confirmed Djokovic’s withdrawal. “Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan), Djokovic, who was supposed to play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, has been forced to withdraw from the Roland Garros tournament,” the statement read.

The Serb took to social media to confirm his withdrawal from Roland Garros. “I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland ­Garros. I played with my heart and gave my all in yesterday’s match (against Cerundolo) 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,” he wrote.

Djokovic was carrying the knee niggle for a couple of weeks now and the issue became serious after Djokovic took a tumble during his match against Cerundolo. He even complained to the organisers about a wet surface and was seen arguing with the officials on the issue more than once.

Ruud, who lost to Djokovic in the final of the French Open last year, will advance to the semifinals and will await the winner of the Alexander Zverev vs. Alex De Minaur match to battle it out for a place in the final.