Novak Djokovic Withdraws from French Open Due to Knee Injury, Set to Lose No. 1 Ranking

Novak Djokovic announced on Tuesday that he is withdrawing from the French Open due to a knee injury, abruptly ending his title defense and his tenure at the top of the ATP rankings.

“I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros,” Djokovic shared 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 injury was confirmed by an MRI exam conducted on Tuesday. Djokovic sustained the injury during a fourth-round victory against No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, a match that lasted over 4 1/2 hours and spanned five sets. This followed another five-set match, bringing his total court time over two matches to more than nine hours.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was scheduled to face No. 7 seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. With Djokovic’s withdrawal, Ruud advances to the semifinals by walkover and will face either No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 11 Alex de Minaur.

Djokovic’s exit, along with Rafael Nadal’s first-round elimination, ensures that a new champion will lift the French Open men’s trophy for the first time on Sunday. The remaining contenders include No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner, who secured a semifinal spot by defeating No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Tuesday. This victory also guarantees Sinner the No. 1 ranking next week, making him the first Italian man to achieve this milestone.

Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, learned about Djokovic’s withdrawal during an on-court interview after his win. “Seeing Novak (injured) is, for everyone, disappointing,” Sinner said, “so I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Regarding his ascent to the top ranking, Sinner commented, “It means a lot to me, for sure,” as he looks forward to renewing his rivalry with No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. Alcaraz, who reached the semifinals in Paris for the second consecutive year, defeated No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4 on Tuesday night. Alcaraz and Sinner have an even head-to-head record of 4-4, having split their previous two encounters at major tournaments.

“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,” Alcaraz said about Sinner. “It is the match that everybody wants to watch.”

Djokovic, who has not reached a final or won any tournament this season, required a return to the French Open final to extend his record for the most weeks at No. 1. His current season record stands at 18-6.

For years, Djokovic, Nadal, and Roger Federer dominated men’s tennis, collectively securing 66 major championships. Federer, now 42, is retired, and Nadal, who recently turned 38, is contemplating his future after missing most of the past 1 1/2 seasons due to injuries. Djokovic’s future remains uncertain as he recovers from this knee injury.

Wimbledon, where Djokovic has won seven titles, begins on July 1, and the tennis competition at the Paris Olympics starts at Roland Garros on July 27.

“I saw that he was obviously physically struggling (Monday), and I honestly thought … he was on the verge of losing,” said U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, who advanced to the women’s semifinals with a three-set win over Ons Jabeur and will face No. 1 Iga Swiatek on Thursday.

Gauff, reflecting on Djokovic’s match against Cerundolo, said she believed “that he would win the title” despite his visible struggles.

Djokovic revealed post-match that his knee had been troubling him for weeks before arriving in Paris, a fact he kept private until after his win against Cerundolo. During the match, Djokovic aggravated his knee and required a medical timeout. A trainer attended to his knee multiple times, and Djokovic took the maximum dose of pain relief medication allowed by the tournament to manage his condition.

“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow — or, after tomorrow, if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play,” Djokovic said Monday evening.

Djokovic narrowly avoided defeat, trailing by two sets to one and down a break at 4-2 in the fourth set against Cerundolo, before rallying once the medication took effect. Despite securing his 370th Grand Slam victory, breaking a tie with Federer for the most in tennis history, the effort proved too costly. Djokovic suggested that better maintenance of the clay court could have prevented his injury.

“Today I injured myself. Yes, I survived. I won the match. Great. But will I be able to play next one?” Djokovic questioned, emphasizing his concerns about court conditions.