World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the French Open ahead of his quarter-final match against Casper Ruud due to a knee injury. Top seed and defending champion Djokovic exit ends his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam trophy which will result in him losing the world No 1 ranking to Italian Jannik Sinner later this month.
According to Djokovic via his 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."
Norwegian seventh seed Ruud will therefore progress straight to the semi-finals.
