Novak Djokovic pulls out of French Open with knee injury…

Due to a knee injury sustained in the previous round, Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open prior to his quarterfinal matchup with Casper Ruud.

In order to advance to the final four, world number one and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic was scheduled to play Ruud on Wednesday. Ruud was beaten by Djokovic in straight sets in the Roland Garros final the previous year.

Djokovic posted on social media on Tuesday, saying, “I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros.”

“I gave it my all and played with all my heart in yesterday’s match, but sadly, my right knee’s medial meniscus tear forced my team and I to make a difficult decision after much thought and discussion.”

The tournament’s organizers had originally declared his withdrawal, stating that the full extent of the ailment had been discovered during an MRI scan earlier on Tuesday.

Ruud will now play either fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev or eleventh-seeded Alex de Minaur on Friday in the semifinals.