This article has been updated on Thursday June 6, to reflect confirmation of Novak Djokovic’s knee surgery following the French Open.
The news that Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the French Open with a torn meniscus was one of those moments at Roland Garros where the gasps were audible.
It wasn’t a huge shock given Djokovic said he was unsure if he would play his quarterfinal after picking up the injury in a fourth-round win over Francisco Caruolo. Still, to lose the world No. 1 and defending champion in this manner is huge.
But what are the implications of Djokovic’s withdrawal — for him, the event, and the sport in general?
Djokovic withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday with a tear in the medial meniscus of his right knee. The meniscus is a semicircle of cartilage that sits on the inside half of the knee joint. It’s an extremely common injury among active adults, especially middle-aged men, and can bring varying amounts of pain.
In tennis players, especially over a long-playing career, it’s more likely that any tear will be a slow degeneration that gets aggravated rather than a sudden, acute tear. Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are among the players who have had surgery on a torn meniscus in the last few years while in their mid-30s, even if the former was a freak injury while running the bath for his kids.But against Sinner, the world No 1, on Thursday he didn’t appear to be in discomfort as the pair played for a set and a bit that lasted around 40 minutes. Sinner won the set and there were times when Djokovic was a little irritable, but afterwards he was in high spirits. He posed with his team and invited ground staff onto the court for a photo and to offer his thanks.
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