"Seeing Novak Djokovic with crutches is jarring" - Tennis fans react to Serb's post-surgery update after French Open withdrawal

Novak Djokovic recently provided a positive update on his knee injury following surgery. This news further garnered positive reactions from the fans who wished him a swift recovery.

Novak Djokovic's sudden withdrawal from the French Open generated a wave of shock within the tennis fraternity. The Serb pulled out due to a knee injury that worsened during an intense five-set match against Francisco Cerundolo on Tuesday, June 4. Scans later revealed a meniscus tear in his right knee. At the press conference, Djokovic said:

"I was playing a few tournaments with it and had no issues until today. Of course late finish from few nights ago didn't help the sleeping and the by rhythm and recovery. I actually felt great coming into the match as good as I could be under the circumstances and played really well first set."

Djokovic also revealed that he slipped many times during his match against Cerundolo, which aggravated the pain:

"In the third game of the second set, I slipped, one of the many times that I slipped and fell, that affected the knee. I started feeling the pain and asked for physio treatment and a medical timeout and tried to take care of it."

The 37-year-old then made an immediate decision to undergo surgery. He was due to have an operation in a Parisian clinic on Wednesday, June 5, and the fans were keeping an eye on the updates. Now, the Serb has issued a positive update on X, thanking the doctors who assisted him during the ordeal:

"In the past day, I had to make some tough decisions after sustaining a meniscus tear during my last match. I’m still processing it all but I am happy to update you that the surgery went well. I am so appreciative of the team of doctors who have been by my side…"

While the former World No. 1 is also set to miss the Wimbledon Championships and the Paris Olympics, fans remained optimistic, flooding the comment section with wishes for a speedy recovery. One fan described the situation as "jarring" and wrote:

"Seeing Djokovic with crutches is jarring. The symbol of Father Time trying to do its job."

"Nole with crutches, this is the worst thing I’d have to see, Get Well Soon my Champion," a fan commented.

"On crutches…😔 but we will back stronger than ever ! Just a matter of time." A fan chimed in.

Another fan expressed love and support for Djokovic, urging him to prioritize his health and take proper time to rest during his recovery.

"We love you Nole ... just be healthy... I believe everything is happening for a reason... just take your time!" The fan wrote.

"Awesome. Thank you for sharing the beautiful picture and the update. My prayers for your speedy recovery. Come back, strong champ. Love always." A fan said.

"Get well soon champ! We'll be here as always and will be ready when you are. IDEMO!" A fan wrote.

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John McEnroe was left fuming and criticized the late-night scheduling for Novak Djokovic's knee injury

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John McEnroe recently criticized the organizers for scheduling Djokovic to play against Lorenzo Musetti at 10:30 PM in the third round and emphasized how it affected his knee injury saga. He called it a huge mistake, pointing out the bad weather and difficult conditions.

"Putting Djokovic, 37, on the court at 10:30 PM without knowing how long his match would last, was a huge mistake on the part of the organization. The weather was very bad, and they were in a difficult situation. I understand that they wanted to catch up, but there were other solutions to finish the other match " McEnroe told Le Figaro.

Novak Djokovic's match against Lorenzo Musetti was initially scheduled for 8 p.m. However, it was delayed by two hours because the match between Zizou Bergs and Grigor Dimitrov was moved to the same court (Philippe Chatrier) due to a rain interruption:

"Novak had been bothered by his knee for a few weeks. He had to fall asleep at 7 AM and come back to play a day and a half later (against Cerundolo in the fourth round). It's a challenge for anyone. He had to fight 5 sets again, it's too much to ask. Even for Novak. If we can't say for sure, it's one of the reasons why he injured his knee. In any case, you don't treat a player, and even less the best in the world, that way," McEnroe added.

The Serbian was already having a title-less season, and the knee injury had dashed his ambitions of winning a Major at least until the Wimbledon Championship this year.