Novak Djokovic will undergo surgery for his torn meniscus in Paris on Wednesday, a source told ESPN, confirming multiple reports, which will put his status for Wimbledon in doubt.
Djokovic tore the meniscus in his right knee during his fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo. He continued to play through the pain and won in five sets, but was unsure of the damage done to his knee.
On Tuesday he underwent an MRI in Paris that confirmed the meniscus tear, causing the 24-time Grand Slam winner to withdraw from the tournament.
The injury requires surgery, and the recovery time means Djokovic faces a race against time to be fit for Wimbledon, which begins on July 1. Djokovic will most likely skip the grass court to focus on playing in the Paris Olympics; The Olympic tennis tournament will begin on July 27.
Djokovic won Wimbledon seven times and reached last year's final, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz. But Olympic gold still eludes him. His best result was a bronze medal in Beijing in 2008, and he said earlier this year that Paris 2024 was the “priority” for him.
“It's about developing my game on clay courts,” Djokovic said in April. “I want to peak for Paris. That's where I want to play my best tennis. Anything else is an advantage, so let's see what happens.”
That is also the case for Rafael Nadal, who lost in the first round of the French Open to Alexander Zverev. Nadal said after that loss that he would probably stay on clay until Paris, rather than switching to grass, leaving the possibility that neither Djokovic nor Nadal will be at Wimbledon this year.
