Due to a knee injury sustained in the previous round, Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open prior to his quarterfinal matchup with Casper Ruud, the tournament’s organizers said on Tuesday. “Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan performed today), Novak Djokovic… has been forced to withdraw from the Roland Garros tournament,” the organizers announced in a statement. In order to advance to the final four, world number one and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was scheduled to play Ruud on Wednesday. Ruud lost to Djokovic in the Roland Garros final the previous year.
After beating Francisco Cerundolo in five sets on Monday, the 37-year-old Djokovic admitted he needed anti-inflammatory medication to get through the match, raising questions about his level of fitness.
In his 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Cerundolo, Djokovic attributed his early second set injury on the “slippery” Philippe Chatrier floor.
“I have no idea what will occur tomorrow or whether I’ll be able to play on the floor after tomorrow. You know, hopefully. “Let’s observe the outcome,” Djokovic remarked following the game.
