Novak Djokovic to undergo knee surgery in Paris today; Wimbledon withdrawal almost confirmed

Novak Djokovic might be ruled out of the Wimbledon Championship due to recovery time that takes six weeks or three months.

Novak Djokovic to undergo knee surgery in Paris today; Wimbledon withdrawal almost confirmed

Novak Djokovic (Via IMAGO)

Yesterday, Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open after an MRI scan revealed a torn meniscus in his right knee. The Serbian had been playing with a knee injury with proper medication, but will now have to undergo a knee surgery on his torn meniscus in Paris.

According to L’Equipe, the surgery will effectively rule him out of the Wimbledon Championship which starts on July 1st. However, this wouldn’t have been the case for Novak Djokovic if the French Open organizers had paid heed to his complaints. The 37-year-old was frustrated at the state of the court in his third and fourth-round matches and even told supervisors it had to be swept regularly.

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After playing a four-hour and twenty-nine-minute match against Lorenzo Musetti, the Serbian had less than 48 hours to recover and play Fransisco Cerundolo. In the fourth-round match, Djokovic slipped, causing him to slide his knee on the clay surface. He was seen rubbing his right leg after the fall and also called for medicals.

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Though he went on to win the match, he admitted he wasn’t sure if he would play the quarterfinal match. Yesterday, after an MRI scan that revealed a torn meniscus in his right knee he withdrew from the tournament. He will undergo surgery on the right knee today in Paris.

Meanwhile, missing the Wimbledon championship will be a big blow to the organizers due to the influence the 37-year-old brings. The French Open organizers may have kicked themselves in the foot because that may eventually see Djokovic pull out from the Paris Olympics knowing it will be played on the Roland Garros court.

Also, recovery time for Djokovic’s injury has been slated to be anywhere between six weeks and three months. The Paris Olympics begins over seven weeks from today.

2024 French Open mired in several problems and controversies

This year’s French Open has been mired in different problems from the start. At the start of the competition, rain became an issue with the clay court heavily affected and needing to dry before games were resumed after suspension.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia receives medical treatment during the ninth day of Roland-Garros 2024
Novak Djokovic (Via Imago)

After that just in the first round, David Goffin revealed that he was insulted and spat on during a match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. However, the French Open organizers responded immediately to the information banning alcohol from the stands and out-of-bounds behavior.

The next issue was scheduling late-night matches for men and afternoons for women. Novak Djokovic played against Lorenzo Musetti for four hours and twenty-nine minutes, with the match ending by 3:08 am the following morning. It was part of what led the Serbian to withdraw from the tournament after suffering a torn meniscus in the right knee.

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