NEW DELHI: Reigning champion Novak Djokovic on Tuesday pulled out of French Open ahead to his quarter-final match due to a knee injury he sustained during his grueling fourth-round victory over Francisco Cerundolo, said to tournament organizers.
The Serb's pursuit of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title has come to an end with this withdrawal.
As a result of Djokovic's absence, Italian Jannik Sinner will take over the world number one ranking later this month.
"Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan), Djokovic, who was supposed to play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals tomorrow, has been forced to withdraw from the Roland Garros tournament," the organizers said.
Ruud, who was the runner-up in last year's tournament, will progress to the semi-finals on Wednesday without having to play the quarter-final match.
Djokovic's withdrawal came after two consecutive five-set battles, with the most recent being against Lorenzo Musetti.
Djokovic's knee had been bothering him for a couple of weeks before he arrived at Roland Garros — something he kept to himself until after the win against Cerundolo.
Early in the second set Monday, Djokovic tweaked his knee and took a medical timeout.
A trainer worked on the joint then and during subsequent changeovers, and Djokovic took what he said a tournament doctor told him was the maximum dose of pills allowed to dull the pain and reduce any inflammation.
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow — or after tomorrow, if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play,” the 37-year-old Djokovic said after Monday's win. “You know, I hope so. Let’s see what happens.”
He needed to get back to the title match in Paris to retain his hold atop the ATP rankings. With the withdrawal, he now will be replaced by current No. 2 Jannik Sinner, an Italian who was playing his quarterfinal on Tuesday.
(With inputs from agencies)
