The world No 1 struggled physically in his five-set match against Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round on Monday, regularly receiving treatment from a physio and taking pain medication.
Djokovic managed to rally from two sets to one down, and a break down in the fourth round, to triumph, and pick up a record 370th match win at Grand Slam level.
However, the Serbian’s hopes of becoming a four-time champion in Paris have been scuppered, and he admitted on his Instagram Story that he had to make a “tough decision.”
He said: “I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros.
“I played with all 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 the of the love and continued support.
“See you soon. With love and gratitude, Nole.”
Djokovic’s withdrawal has a big knock-on effect for the tournament, with a first new champion at the French Open since 2016 – when he won his first crown – guaranteed.
Seventh seed Ruud, who lost to Rafael Nadal in the 2022 final and Djokovic at that stage 12 months ago, receives a walkover into his fourth Grand Slam semi-final.
He will face Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur at that stage, with the German and Australian – who play their quarter-final on Wednesday night – both looking for a first final at Roland Garros.
Ruud sent a message of support to Djokovic on social media in the aftermath of the news.
The former world No 2 wrote: “Speedy recovery Nole. Hope to see you back and healthy on the grass.”
More significantly, Djokovic will now lose the world No 1 ranking to Jannik Sinner .
The Italian was in a strong position to usurp the Serbian as the top-ranked player before the tournament, though is guaranteed to rise to No 1 no matter how the rest of the tournament pans out.
He was in the middle of his quarter-final against Grigor Dimitrov when the news broke, ultimately winning in straight sets.
There are also now significant concerns about how long Djokovic will be away from the sport, as he looks to recover from the injury.
Djokovic’s main goal for the season was likely the Olympic Games, with a gold medal the only thing he is missing from his title collection.
However, his chances of returning to Roland Garros for Paris 2024, or playing Wimbledon beforehand, are up in the air.
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