Novak Djokovic Withdraws from French Open

PARIS – In a shocking development, Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the French Open due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, ending his title defense and resulting in the loss of his No. 1 ranking. The tournament made the announcement on Tuesday, revealing that the injury was confirmed through an MRI exam following Djokovic’s grueling fourth-round victory over Francisco Cerundolo.

“I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros,” Djokovic wrote in an Instagram post. “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.”

Djokovic was set to face two-time French Open runner-up Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. 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.

The injury, which had been bothering Djokovic for weeks, was exacerbated during his match against Cerundolo. Djokovic required medical timeouts and received treatment multiple times during the match. Despite the pain, he managed to secure a victory in a match that lasted over 4 1/2 hours.

“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or after tomorrow, if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play,” the 37-year-old Djokovic said after his win on Monday. “You know, I hope so. Let’s see what happens.”

Djokovic’s exit from the tournament means Jannik Sinner will rise to the top of the ATP rankings. The 22-year-old Italian secured his spot in the semifinals by defeating No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Tuesday. Sinner’s rise to No. 1 marks a significant milestone, as he becomes the first Italian man to achieve this ranking.

“Seeing Novak [injured] is, for everyone, disappointing,” Sinner commented. “So I wish him a speedy recovery.”

The women’s doubles competition saw Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Quebec, and her partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand eliminated in the third round. The ninth seeds were defeated 6-1, 6-4 by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Despite an early lead in the second set, Fernandez and Routliffe could not maintain their momentum, losing the next five games.