Boris Becker was rendered ‘speechless’ following Novak Djokovic’s decision to withdraw from the French Open due to injury.
The now former world number one suffered the injury to his right knee during his five-set win over Francisco Cerundolo on Monday.
Djokovic revealed after the match that he would undergo a scan on Tuesday to determine whether he would be able to continue at the tournament.
The MRI scan has subsequently shown the 37-year-old tore the medial meniscus in his right knee, forcing him out of the grand slam.
Djokovic wrote on Instagram: ‘I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros. 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.
‘I wish the best of luck to the players competing this week and sincerely thank the incredible fans for all of the love and continued support.’
Roland Garros organisers said: ‘Due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee (discovered during an MRI scan performed today), Novak Djokovic, who was supposed to play Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals tomorrow, has been forced to withdraw from the Roland-Garros tournament.’
Djokovic appeared ill at ease on court during his win over the Argentine, exemplified by the frosty exchange with his wife Jelena which was captured by the television cameras.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner’s former coach, Becker, meanwhile, fears Djokovic will face an extended spell on the sidelines that will put his participation at Wimbledon in major doubt.
He said: ‘This is bad news for all Djokovic fans and I’m one of them.
‘You could almost guess it after the match against Cerundolo, which he played with a limp. The painkillers made the fifth set easier, but he had already warned that evening what the next morning would be like.
‘He already had knee problems at the last few tournaments but never spoke about them. That’s obviously very bitter for him. I wish him a speedy recovery so that he is fit again for the grass court season.
‘It’s a serious injury and it won’t go away tomorrow. That leaves me a bit speechless. You need your knees on grass, you really do slip all the time.
‘A torn medial meniscus is a serious injury and the question naturally arises as to whether surgery is necessary.’
Djokovic’s setback means that Jannik Sinner will rise above the Serbian to the top of the rankings when they are updated next week.
The 22-year-old, who is the first man from Italy to be world number one, sank Bulgarian veteran Dimitrov 6-2 6-4 7-6 (3).
‘It means a lot to me for sure,’ he said. ‘It’s not the way we all were expecting actually. He had two very long matches, tough matches, five sets, so it’s tough. The first one he finished really late also.
‘You know, it’s tough also for the tournament. Novak retiring, it’s always tough. Talking about myself, I am very happy about this achievement. It’s a lot of work we put in daily. It’s a daily routine. Obviously I’m happy to have this number.
‘In two days there is a very important match for me, the semi-finals, so I’m focused about that at the moment. But, yes, of course, very happy to have this number now.’
