"I was surprised... Novak Djokovic didn't show pain at the end of the match" - Carlos Alcaraz weighs in on Serb's "frustrating" French Open withdrawal

Carlos Alcaraz has expressed his astonishment regarding Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the 2024 French Open. The Serb was forced to forgo his title defense at the claycourt Major due to injury ahead of his highly anticipated quarterfinal showdown against Casper Ruud.

Djokovic displayed his enduring resilience in back-to-back five-set thrillers against Lorenzo Musetti and Francisco Cerundolo. However, these consecutive hard-earned victories, which accounted for approximately nine hours on court, took a toll on the 37-year-old as he battled a knee injury in his match against Cerundolo.

Following his win, the Serb underwent an MRI scan, which confirmed that he had torn a medial meniscus in his right knee, forcing his decision to withdraw from the Major. With his unfortunate exit, the 24-time Grand Slam champion handed Ruud a free ticket into the semifinals.

Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, secured his spot in the last four with a commanding 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Spaniard set the stage for a blockbuster showdown against Jannik Sinner, who secured the World No. 1 ranking after the Serb's withdrawal.

Addressing Novak Djokovic's withdrawal in his post-match press conference, Alcaraz expressed his surprise at the news, asserting that the 37-year-old didn't exhibit any visible signs of pain after winning his match against Cerundolo.

"Well, I was surprised that he withdraw from the tournament after watch the match yesterday. He finished the match playing great tennis and he didn't show pain at the end of the match," he said.

"So, it was a surprise for me that he withdraw from the tournament. But he talked with his team, with the doctor and you know, tennis is like that, so sometimes you have to deal with it," he added.

The Spaniard also acknowledged the Serb's withdrawal as "frustrating" for fans.

"But I think not having Djokovic in the tournament, it's, I'm going to say frustrating for the fans not having one of the best players in the world in the tournament," Alcaraz said.

Jannik Sinner echoed Carlos Alcaraz's sentiments about Novak Djokovic's French Open withdrawal

Novak Djokovic (L) and Jannik Sinner (R)

Despite benefiting from Novak Djokovic's withdrawal and securing the World No. 1 ranking, Jannik Sinner gracefully recognized the Serb's withdrawal as "disappointing" for everyone. The Italian booked his place in the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Grigor Dimitrov.

"First of all, it's everyone's dream to become No. 1 in the world. And, the other way, seeing Novak retiring and here I think it's for everyone, disappointing. I wish him a speedy recovery," Sinner said in his on-court interview.

While both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have expressed regret over the 24-time Grand Slam champion's withdrawal, his absence has certainly improved the odds for both players to clinch their maiden Roland Garros title.

The duo will battle it out for a place in the final in their ninth meeting on tour, with their head-to-head record standing level at 4-4.