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

Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday due to a medial meniscus tear in his right knee, abruptly ending his title defense and his current reign as the No. 1 player in the ATP rankings.

“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 Djokovic's injury was revealed following an MRI exam on Tuesday. He sustained the injury during a fourth-round victory against No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, a grueling match that lasted over 4 1/2 hours and required five sets. This was his second consecutive five-set match, bringing his total time on court to more than nine hours over the two matches.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, was set to face No. 7 seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Instead, Ruud advances to the semifinals via walkover, where he will face either No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 11 Alex de Minaur.

With Djokovic, a three-time French Open champion, out of the tournament and Rafael Nadal, who has won a record 14 titles at Roland Garros, eliminated in the first round, the men's trophy will have a new holder this year.

The remaining contenders include No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner, who defeated No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Tuesday to reach the semifinals. This victory ensures that Sinner will replace Djokovic as the top-ranked player next week. Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, will become the first Italian man to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings.

Sinner was unaware of Djokovic's withdrawal during his match against Dimitrov and only found out during his post-match on-court interview.

“Seeing Novak (injured) is, for everyone, disappointing,” Sinner said. “I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Reflecting on his impending No. 1 ranking, Sinner added, “It means a lot to me, for sure,” as he looked forward to renewing his rivalry with No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in Friday's semifinals.

Alcaraz, who reached the final four 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 faced each other eight times, each winning four matches. Their head-to-head at major tournaments is tied at 1-1.

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

Djokovic, who is 18-6 this season and has not reached a final at any tournament, needed to make it to the title match at the French Open to extend his record for most weeks at No. 1.

The dominance of Djokovic, Nadal, and Roger Federer, known as the Big Three, has defined men's tennis for years, with the trio amassing a combined total of 66 major championships. However, Federer has retired, and Nadal, who turned 38 on Monday, is dealing with prolonged injury issues. Djokovic's future remains uncertain as he contemplates the impact of his knee injury.

Wimbledon, where Djokovic has won seven titles, begins on July 1, and the tennis competition at the Paris Olympics will start 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 by defeating Ons Jabeur in three sets. Gauff is set to face No. 1 Iga Swiatek on Thursday.

Gauff noted that Djokovic's victory against Cerundolo made her believe “that he would win the title.”

Djokovic revealed that his knee had been troubling him for a couple of weeks before arriving in Paris, a detail he withheld until after his win against Cerundolo. He aggravated the injury early in the second set on Monday and required a medical timeout. Despite taking the maximum dose of painkillers and anti-inflammatories allowed, the injury persisted.

“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 on Monday evening.

Djokovic was down two sets to one and trailing 4-2 in the fourth set against Cerundolo before his performance improved once the medication took effect.

“I was,” Djokovic said afterward, “maybe three or four points away from losing this match.”

Despite winning his 370th Grand Slam match, surpassing Roger Federer for the most in history, Djokovic's triumph came at a significant cost. He criticized the maintenance of the clay courts, believing better care could have prevented his injury.

“I mean, today I injured myself. Yes, I survived. I won the match. Great. But will I be able to play next one? ” Djokovic said, emphasizing his point by tapping the table.