Novak Djokovic decides to undergo surgery after knee injury at French Open; set to miss Wimbledon 2024: Reports

Novak Djokovic will miss the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, according to the latest reports. After suffering a medial meniscus tear in his right knee at the French Open, the Serb has decided to undergo surgery.

Djokovic pulled out of his French Open quarterfinal against Casper Ruud on Tuesday, June 4, despite a hard-earned 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Francisco Cerundolo the previous day. The Serb, who had been dealing with discomfort in his right knee for a couple of weeks, tore his meniscus during the marathon win.

Announcing his French Open withdrawal, Novak Djokovic made a post on social media.

"I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros. 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," he wrote on Instagram.

While the Serb did not disclose his next step at the time, it has now been reported that he has opted for surgery without delay. According to L’Equipe, the 37-year-old is set to undergo the procedure on Wednesday in a Parisian clinic by a young French surgeon, with the recovery time being at least three weeks.

This also means that Novak Djokovic is likely to miss the 2024 Wimbledon Championships (July 1-14). The Serb, who has frequently shared his Paris Olympics ambitions, would hope to recover in time for the event, which is again set to take place at Stade Roland Garros between July 26 and August 11.

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Novak Djokovic was the runner-up at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

Day Fourteen: The Championships - Wimbledon 2023 (Image Source: Getty)

Courtesy of his French Open withdrawal, Novak Djokovic is also set to be dethroned by Jannik Sinner as the new World No. 1, come Monday.

The Serb was the defending champion, having won his third title at the tournament in 2023. By making the quarterfinals in the ongoing edition, he defended only 400 of the 2000 points from last year. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner is through to the semifinals and is set to enjoy a minimum 1165 points lead over the Serb after the French Open.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is also at the risk of dropping to No. 3 in the rankings if Carlos Alcaraz, who faces Sinner next, wins the title. Moreover, he is the runner-up at Wimbledon, having fallen short against Alcaraz in the 2023 final. Skipping the grasscourt Slam after surgery means that he loses 1200 points from his run last year.