Defending champion Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the French Open 2024, halting his title defense ahead of a scheduled quarterfinal clash with World No. 7 Casper Ruud. Djokovic, who suffered a knee injury during his grueling five-set victory over No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo, has been diagnosed with a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. The severity of the injury was confirmed through an MRI conducted the day following his fourth-round match, which extended over four and a half hours. Consequently, this withdrawal will lead to Djokovic losing his No. 1 ranking.
Djokovic Withdraws from Quarterfinals Due to Knee Injury
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was set to face two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. However, due to ongoing knee issues, Djokovic has withdrawn, granting Ruud a walkover into the semifinals. There, Ruud will compete against either No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 11 Alex de Minaur. Djokovic, who has been dealing with knee problems for weeks, did not disclose his condition until after his victory over Cerundolo. During Monday’s match, he required a medical timeout early in the second set to address a knee tweak. Throughout the match, a trainer attended to his knee during changeovers, and Djokovic relied on the maximum dosage of medications permitted by tournament doctors to manage the pain and inflammation.
