Djokovic came through back-to-back five set matches at Roland Garros this year, totalling over nine hours on court, and suffered the knee injury in his fourth round battle with Francisco Cerundolo.
After his victory, Djokovic revealed in the press conference that he was unsure whether he would be able to play his quarter-final match against Casper Ruud.
And this became a reality yesterday, with Djokovic confirming the details of his injury on Instagram, “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 the love and continued support. See you soon. With love and gratitude, Nole.”
And it is now being reported by French newspaper L’Équipe that Djokovic is set to undergo surgery on his right knee in Paris today.
This apparent surgery is set to have a recovery time of three weeks, which would likely put Wimbledon (beginning Monday 1st July) out of the picture for Djokovic.
The 37-year-old may also have his eye on the Paris Olympics with this surgery, with the tennis tournament taking place between 27th July and 4th August.
Djokovic has been very open about his desire to obtain a first Olympic gold medal this year, and now appears to be in a race against time to get back to fitness for the Games.
