Reports: Djokovic set for surgery, Wimbledon in doubt
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Novak Djokovic will undergo surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his right knee which forced him to withdraw from Roland-Garros, according to multiple reports.
The surgery will put the 37-year-old's status for Wimbledon in doubt with the major at the All-England Club just a month away. ESPN reports there's a likelihood that Djokovic will skip the grass-court tournament and instead focus on being ready for the start of the Paris Olympics tournament on July 27.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, has never won Olympic gold. He's a seven-time Wimbledon champion.
After withdrawing from Roland-Garros with the injury Tuesday, Djokovic will lose his No. 1 ranking, with Jannik Sinner set to take over next week.
“I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros," Djokovic posted on social media. "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.”
Djokovic was hurt during a fourth-round victory against No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo on Monday that lasted five sets spread across more than four and a half hours. It was his second consecutive five-setter, with his total time on court across the two exceeding nine hours.
The reigning tournament champion was supposed to face No. 7 seed Casper Ruud, the runner-up each of the past two years at Roland Garros, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Instead, Ruud gets a walkover into the semifinals, where he will face No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 11 Alex de Minaur.
With Djokovic, the owner of three French Open titles, gone from the bracket, and Rafael Nadal — owner of a record 14 — eliminated in the first round, someone will be holding the French Open men's trophy for the first time on Sunday.