Should Novak Djokovic withdraw from the French Open after an injury scare and late finishes?
Novak Djokovic was involved in yet another marathon match at the French Open as he was pushed to five sets by Francisco Cerundolo in the Round of 16. The defending champion was trailing by one-set-to-two but bounced back to register a 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win and advance to the quarterfinals of the clay-court Major.
He faced a similar situation against 30th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the third round but showed his resilience to bag a 7-5, 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory. The match finished after 3 am in the morning.
These prolonged fixtures may have affected Djokovic's body, as he hurt his knee during his match against Cerundolo, which may put his participation in the remainder of the French Open in doubt.
Novak Djokovic speaks out on French Open quarterfinal participation
Novak Djokovic tweaked his right knee during the second set against Francisco Cerundolo. The Serbian was seen wearing a little bandage to protect his knee as he entered the court but the injury soon aggravated during the second set. Djokovic even admitted that he was thinking about retiring from the match as the pain increased.
"It did disrupt me, definitely, in play. For two-and-a-half sets, I did not want to stay in the rally too long. At one point, I didn't know to be honest whether I should continue or not," Novak Djokovic said.
Speaking to the media after his match, Djokovic refused to confirm his participation in the quarterfinal and claimed that he would see how his body reacts after the knee injury. The Serbian has hoped to compete against Casper Ruud in the last eight of the Roland Garros, but his participation is still up in the air.
"I do not know what will happen, tomorrow or after tomorrow, if I will be able to step out on court and play, but I hope so. Let's see what happens," Novak Djokovic said at his post-match press conference.
Should Novak Djokovic withdraw from the French Open 2024?
There is a lot at stake for Novak Djokovic at the French Open 2024. The Serbian is chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam title, further increasing his Majors lead over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It would also make him the most successful Grand Slam winner in history, surpassing Margaret Court.
However, a knee injury and late-night finishes have left a question mark on the Serbian's Roland Garros future.
Despite his age, Novak Djokovic is still one of the fittest players in the world. The Serb has pushed his body to limit already in two consecutive five-setters at the French Open and will face tougher opponents in the final rounds in Paris.
Djokovic has made it a habit of performing his best when the chips are down and that could be an important factor at Roland Garros. The 37-year-old has looked down and out during various stages of his matches but has still managed to find a way to get the win. With matches against Casper Ruud and potentially Alexander Zverev coming up, the Serb will need to use all his fighting spirit to get past the young stars.
Another motivation for Djokovic to keep competing at the French Open is his desperate hunt for a trophy. He has failed to win any title so far in 2024 and has struggled for form and consistency. However, the Serbian is showing glimpses of his old self at Roland Garros and this might be the year where he defends his French Open title for the first time in his career.
Another reason for Djokovic to keep fighting at the French Open is his World No. 1 ranking. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is set to lose his top ranking to Jannik Sinner if he fails to win the title at Roland Garros.
With two hard-fought wins already under his belt, Djokovic has more reasons to stay and compete at Roland Garros than to leave. With an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title just three wins away, the World No. 1 will hope that his body is in good enough shape to withstand the remainder of the tournament.