Novak Djokovic will miss Wimbledon to undergo surgery on the knee injury that forced him to withdraw from the French Open, according to a report.
Through L’EquipeThe seven-time champion underwent meniscus surgery in Paris and will miss at least three weeks of action, meaning he would not have recovered in time to take part in the world’s oldest tennis tournament.
The 37-year-old suffered the injury during his fourth round match against Francisco Cerundolo, but battled through the pain to win in five sets. However, an MRI revealed the bad news and he was forced to withdraw from Wednesday’s quarterfinal match against Casper Ruud.
As a result, the 24-time Grand Slam champion will lose his world number one ranking after the French Open and Jannik Sinner, 22, will become the first Italian player, male or female, to top the ranking.
The recovery time from the surgery is estimated between three and six weeks, Wimbledon will begin on July 1, three weeks and five days away, and it is almost impossible for him to compete.
Novak Djokovic will reportedly miss Wimbledon after undergoing surgery for a knee injury.
The veteran is said to have undergone meniscus surgery in Paris on Wednesday after suffering the problem at the French Open.
Despite finishing his match against Francisco Cerundolo, he was forced to withdraw from the tournament.
Djokovic showed clear signs of a match against Cerundolo, but battled to victory before admitting defeat in his battle to remain in the competition.
There are also doubts about the Serbian’s participation in the Paris Olympic Games, whose first men’s round will be held on July 27. There are more than seven weeks left, so he hopes to be able to participate.
His impending withdrawal from Wimbledon means British fans will not see a repeat of his fierce battle with Carlos Alcaraz from last year’s competition, which resulted in the Spaniard winning 6-4 in the fifth set.
2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 will now take a break from competition as he focuses on recovering and returning to fitness as soon as possible.
Djokovic posted the following on Instagram: “I am very sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros. I played with my heart and gave everything in yesterday’s match and unfortunately… my team and I had to make a difficult decision after careful consideration and consultation.’
Tuesday’s announcement will have sent a chill through some at Roland Garros, and not just at the prospect of losing the biggest name in the draw. Djokovic attributed his injury to the state of the courts, which he considered slippery due to the lack of clay on the surface.
During his match against Cerundolo he asked that the court be brushed more frequently, a request that was denied. ‘I broke my knee because I made a quick move. “I slip and slide all the time,” he told the tournament supervisor.
Djokovic later revealed that he had been dealing with mild knee pain for several weeks before a sudden movement exacerbated it. ‘Could this injury have been avoided?’ he said. “Possibly, if there was a little more frequent care of the court during the set.”