Another haunting setback for Novak Djokovic fans! The tennis world was finally starting to gain optimism for the Serb’s run at Roland Garros. During his R4 match against Francisco Cerundolo, Nole was seen struggling with his leg. Although he managed to secure a massive win, the medical team revealed a shocking reality as he went for a checkup today. And came back home with a grim RG update.

A series of tests for his physical condition took place. While it was evident from his body language that something was wrong, the MRI report dropped a question mark for the rest of this season. The Tennis Letter on X recently revealed that the Serb has damaged his medial meniscus in his right knee.

“Novak Djokovic’s MRI revealed that he tore his medial meniscus in his right knee. It’s a condition that could require arthroscopic surgery depending on how big the tear is,” the post said. According to general medical practices, it usually takes 3 to 6 months for a meniscus to be fully repaired. While his reports have clearly revealed the status, dark clouds hinder his participation in future events, including Wimbledon.

This detailed explanation came just minutes after the French Open authorities confirmed Novak Djokovic’s exit. “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 quarterfinals tomorrow, has been forced to withdraw from the Roland-Garros tournament,” they officially announced.

Djokovic has now relinquished his position of World No. 1 to Jannik Sinner because he was required to participate at least until the Finals of Roland Garros. Before the Olympics is the Grass Slam; scheduled to begin on July 1st, Wimbledon was supposed to be a crucial event for the Serb.

Having stuffed his portfolio with 7 titles already, fans anticipated his presence in this year’s major grass-court event. While there are speculations that the Serb will be forced to keep himself out for a while, his chances to be physically well at the upcoming major event seem to be affected as well.

The MRI report isn’t the only update that made his further participation doubtful. The Serb’s revelation about feeling uneasy after securing a spot in the quarter-finals also added a layer of speculation.

Novak Djokovic’s post-match speech drops hints of a persisting danger

Novak Djokovic’s win over Francisco Cerundolo was undoubtedly remarkable. While the Serb managed to make a comeback even after struggling with a disturbing knee injury and finishing a match post 3AM the night before, many were concerned about how he felt.

Opening up about the issue that started to hinder his performance from the second set, Nole said, “I started feeling the pain [in set two] and asked for the physio treatment and the medical timeout and tried to take care of it.” Affirming that he even had doubts about continuing the specific showdown, he added, “At one point I didn’t know, to be honest, whether I should continue or not with what’s happening.”

Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from Roland Garros has marked a major setback in his journey. While it is evident that the world no.1 crown will no longer be on his side, it is just about time that Jannik Sinner grabs the opportunity to even solidify his throne.