Djokovic is suffering from a “meniscus injury in his right knee”. It is not yet known whether the Serbian will need surgery. Either way, his appearance at the next major at Wimbledon in four weeks seems highly questionable. “I’m very disappointed and sad. Yesterday I played with my heart and gave it everything. “Unfortunately, after careful consideration and investigation, I had to make a difficult decision today,” the Serbian said via Instagram. He congratulated the players for continuing the series. “Thank you for the love and continued support of the incredible fans. I want to thank you.”
Djokovic had already announced after his round of 16 victory over Cerundolo, achieved with the last strength and maximum painkillers, that he was not sure if he would be able to compete in the quarter-finals. Djokovic explained that he had been suffering from the injury for a few weeks and it flared up when he skated on the court in the second set against Cerundolo. Like Australia, Djokovic may not achieve his lofty goal of extending his streak to 25 titles. In a season so far without a match win, the next bitter setback came.
This also means losing the top spot in the rankings. Sinner would replace him, the South Tyrolean beating Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6:2,6:4,7:6(3) after two and a half hours to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros for the first time. “I put in a very solid performance,” said the 22-year-old, who later found out about the events surrounding Djokovic. “What can I say. It’s every player’s dream to be world number one. But Novak’s withdrawal is disappointing for everyone.
Starting Monday, Sinner will be the first Italian to ascend the “throne” in the history of the ATP rankings. Even if not for the injury, the right-hander would have reached the final regardless of Djokovic. The Italian will face Spain’s Carlos Algarz in the semi-finals. The third seed defeated Stephanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6:3,7:6(3),6:4.
Norway’s Casper Rudd benefited from Djokovic’s cancellation. Last year’s finalist will skip Wednesday’s quarter-finals and await the winner of the semi-final clash between Olympic champion Alexander Zverev (GER-4) and Alex De Minar (AUS-11).
