Why Novak Djokovic could miss Wimbledon and the Olympics after French Open injury blow

The nature of the injury that has forced Novak Djokovic to withdraw from the 2024 French Open raises concerns that the Serbian’s season could be derailed at a crucial juncture.

It was announced on Tuesday that Djokovic had pulled out of Roland Garros due to a “medial meniscus tear” in his right knee.

The tennis great, who will lose the world No 1 ranking to Jannik Sinner as a result of his withdrawal, was due to face Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals in Paris on Wednesday.

Djokovic appeared to sustain the injury after slipping on the clay during the second set of his marathon five-set fourth round victory against Francisco Cerundolo on Monday. He received treatment and took painkillers, which — he revealed afterwards — took effect in the latter stages of the match.

The 37-year-old looked hampered for much of the second, third and fourth sets, before remarkably raising his level to prevail 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 after four hours and 39 minutes. It is unclear whether playing through the injury could have worsened it.

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It was Djokovic’s second consecutive five-set victory after he overcame Lorenzo Musetti in a third round contest that, ridiculously, finished at 3:07am on Sunday morning — the latest finish in French Open history. He spent over nine hours on court across the two matches.

The injury blow is a brutally cruel way for Djokovic to be denied the chance to win his fourth Roland Garros crown and 25th Grand Slam title, particularly given his herculean efforts to reach the last eight.

Meniscus tears vary in severity and a timeframe is yet to be disclosed for Djokovic’s recovery. In some cases, it is an injury that can rule athletes out for months.

A reason for optimism is the fact Taylor Fritz sustained a torn meniscus injury in his right knee at Roland Garros in 2021 and recovered in time to play Wimbledon after undergoing surgery.

It is worrying, though, that Djokovic has suffered the injury in such a critical period of the year, with three huge tournaments all on the horizon.

The 2024 Wimbledon Championships will begin on July 1, giving Djokovic less than a month to recover. Wimbledon would arguably represent Djokovic’s best opportunity to win a Major this year given his grass-court prowess and dominance at the All England Club in the last decade.

Following this, the tennis event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will be played at Stade Roland Garros, will run from July 27 to August 4. The Serbian has highlighted this year’s Olympics as a huge priority.

Given Djokovic is 37, it could be his last real opportunity to win an Olympic gold medal, which is the only significant prize he has not claimed in his unparalleled career.

A packed summer schedule of big tournaments will then conclude with the year’s fourth and final Grand Slam, the US Open, which will be held from August 26 to September 8. Djokovic is the defending champion at Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic announced the unfortunate news in a post on his Instagram account: “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. See you soon. With love and gratitude, Nole.”

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