The great German tennis player and former coach of Novak Djokovic, Boris Becker, was taken aback when he learned of the player’s injuries. For the 24-time Grand Slam champion, it arrived at the worst possible moment.
In his French Open round-of-16 encounter against Francisco Cerundolo, Djokovic called for a physiotherapist early in the second set, indicating that a right knee problem was impeding him on the court. However, Djokovic was able to finish the match and win all five sets with the aid of painkillers.
In his press conference, Djokovic did not appear too positive, as he hinted that he would have to pull out of the quarterfinal if the results of his MRI scan were unfavourable. Djokovic’s greatest nightmares came true on Tuesday when it was discovered that his meniscus was torn.
Becker expressed his thoughts about Djokovic’s injury and 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.”
He added: “It’s a serious injury and it won’t go away tomorrow. That leaves me a bit speechless. You need your knees on the grass; you 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 at the French Open, ranking, and results in 2024
At the moment ranked no.1, the Serbian owns an overall 18-6 win-loss record in 2024. Novak is playing at the French Open where he overcame the world no.142 Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4 7-63 6-4, the world no.63 Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4 6-1 6-2, the world no.30 Lorenzo Musetti 7-5 6-76 2-6 6-3 6-0 and the world no.27 Francisco Cerundolo 6-1 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3.
Djokovic is scheduled to play next at the Wimbledon (Wimbledon). He will start to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 1st of July.
Novak Djokovic |
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