Defending champion Novak Djokovic pulls out of French Open due to knee injury

PARIS: Defending champion Novak Djokovic pulled out of the French Open ahead of his quarterfinal due to a knee injury sustained in his marathon fourth-round win over Francisco Cerundolo, organizers said on Tuesday.

The withdrawal ended the Serb’s quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam trophy and will result in him losing the world number one ranking to Italian Jannik Sinner later this month.

“Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan), Djokovic, who was supposed to play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals tomorrow, has been forced to withdraw from the Roland Garros tournament,” organizers said.

Last year’s runner-up Ruud will advance to the semi-finals on Wednesday. Agencies

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