Novak Djokovic is set to miss Wimbledon to undergo surgery on the knee injury that caused him to pull out of the French Open, according to a report.
Via L’Equipe, the seven-time champion has undergone meniscus surgery in Paris and is set to miss at least three weeks of action, meaning he would not have recovered in time to take part in the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
The 37-year-old suffered the injury during his fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo but fought through pain to win in five sets. An MRI scan revealed the bad news, however, and he was forced to pull out of Wednesday’s quarter-final match against Casper Ruud.
As a consequence, the 24-time Grand Slam champion will lose his world No 1 ranking after the French Open and 22-year-old Jannik Sinner will become Italy’s first ever player, male or female, to top the rankings.
The recovery time for the surgery is stated as three to six weeks, with Wimbledon kicking off on July 1, three weeks and five days away, and it is almost impossible he will be able to compete.
Djokovic showed clear signs of pair against Cerundolo, but fought through it to claim victory before admitted defeat in his battle to stay in the competition.
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There is also doubt around the Serb’s participation in the Paris Olympics, with the men’s first round set to be held on July 27. That is over seven weeks away, meaning he will hope to be able to take part.
His imminent withdrawal from Wimbledon means British fans will not see a repeat of his fierce battle Carlos Alcaraz from last year’s competition, which resulted in the Spaniard winning 6-4 in the fifth set.
The 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 is now set to take a break from the competition as he focuses on recovery and returning to fitness as soon as possible.
Djokovic posted the following 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…my team and I had to make a tough decision after careful consideration and consultation.’
Tuesday’s announcement will have sent a shiver down some spines at Roland Garros, and not just at the prospect of losing the biggest name from their draw. Djokovic blamed his injury on the condition of the courts, which he felt were slippery due to a lack of clay on the surface.
During his match against Cerundolo he asked for the court to be brushed more frequently, a request which was denied. ‘I screwed up my knee because I made a quick move. I’m sliding and slipping all the time,’ he told the tournament supervisor.
Afterwards, Djokovic revealed he had been dealing with minor knee pain for several weeks before a sudden movement exacerbated it. ‘Could this injury have been prevented?’ he said. ‘Possibly, if there was just a little bit more frequent care of the court during the set.’