Novak Djokovic’s PTPA Blasts French Open’s ‘Unhealthy’ Move That Put His Knees in Serious Threat

Novak Djokovic was forced to withdraw from the French Open due to a knee injury. This marks the third time Djokovic has withdrawn from the Roland-Garros, and his Professional Tennis Players Association is calling foul on the organizers part. The Djoker played a match that would conclude well past midnight, which they cite as the reason for his knee worsening.

The clash between the Serbinator and Lorenzo Musetti went to 5 sets and ended at 3:07 am. The PTPA was upset at the conditions and share a statement regarding the late-night clashes. “It’s imperative that Grand Slam and tour leaders, tournament organizers, and players – through the PTPA as their advocacy group – come together to explore and determine a solution for preventing late-night finishes, whether that is a curfew or an alternate resolution,” the PTPA told Ubitennis via email.

Djokovic’s following clash with Francisco Cerundolo also went to 5 sets. He was forced him to take a medical time out as he experienced knee discomfort. It became another reason for the PTPA to be upset as they claimed that late night finishes hamper the health of player, “Yet these late finishes continue to happen because of an unwillingness to acknowledge the issue and prioritize players’ best interests,” read their mail.

The Serbinator’s unfortunate exit means he will not be able to defend his 2023 victory or win the championship for the fourth time. His exit, as well as Rafa’s first round defeat, also means the French Open will crown a new player for the first time since Stanislas Wawrinka in 2015. 

However, no one wanted the new champion to come after the withdrawal of the Djoker. The most prominent voices in the situation, the PTPA, and the Djoker aren’t alone in speaking out against scheduling nightmares. 

Novak Djokovic’s late night clash infuriates Carlos Alcaraz for night sessions 

Despite back-to-back wins, Carlos Alcaraz did not hide his disdain for the erroneous scheduling. After beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round, Alcaraz said, “Well, for me, I don’t like late-night sessions, but not for the crowd I think.” Most of his dislike for such matches came after he learned about the timing of Novak Djokovic vs Lorenzo Musetti.

Alcaraz further said, “For the crowd that session is special. But we end so late, press conference, physio, ice bath, we have to do a lot of things that are really important things to recover for the next matches.” The two time grand slam champion also said he has no doubt that Djokovic went to sleep at 6 am after his win against Musetti. 

Along with the the PTPA and Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur have also spoken out against the scheduling at the Roland Garros. Since the tournament is about to wrap up the quarterfinals, we might not see any changes. Will they implement any in the future?