Novak Djokovic withdraws from Roland Garros due to knee injury; What does it mean for his Wimbledon hopes?

Tennis star Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the French Open 2024 ahead of his quarterfinal clash. Notably, star player Casper Ruud was slated to face defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the marquee event. However, the Norway-born star has advanced directly to the semifinals. Djokovic has lost the world No. 1 ranking to Italian Jannik Sinner as a result of his withdrawal, which ends his quest for a record-tying 25th Grand Slam victory.

According to sources, Novak Djokovic will be missing Wimbledon following knee surgery in Paris. Notably, the 24-time Grand Slam champion thrashed Francisco Cerundolo in five sets before sustaining a knee injury. However, Djokovic had to withdraw from the match due to an injured medial meniscus in his right knee. In addition, Djokovic will undergo surgery on Wednesday, which would undoubtedly restrict him from competing at Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old took to social media and revealed that he has been withdrawing from the French Open, and the decision was very hard for him. However, Djokoic also speaks about his injury issues after the game and how he was struggling during the game.

For the last couple weeks I have had slight discomfort: Novak Djokovic

In a statement released on Instagram, Djokovic said: "I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros. 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. I wish the best of luck to the players competing this week and sincerely thank the incredible fans for all of the love and continued support."

"For the last couple weeks I have had slight discomfort, I would call it, in the right knee, but I haven't had an injury that would be concerning me at all. I was playing a few tournaments with it, and had no issues until today," Djokovic said after the game.