Novak Djokovic once again has tennis fans all over the world saying his name, but this time it is unfortunately for the wrong reasons.
The Serbian has been forced to withdraw from the French Open due to a knee injury, having just beaten Francisco Cerundolo.
The pair were involved in a five-set thriller on court Phillipe-Chatrier, with the 37-year-old winning 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Elsewhere in round four at Roland Garros, young star Carlos Alcaraz was involved in a more straightforward victory.
The Spaniard cruised into the last eight in the French capital with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win over Felix Auger Aliassime.
Carlos Alcaraz surprised by Novak Djokovic withdrawal
He has since overcome Stefanos Tsitsipas, again in straight sets, to secure a last-four meeting with Jannik Sinner.
But Alcaraz has taken time away from his own game to share his thoughts on the unfortunate withdrawal of fellow professional Djokovic.
“Well, I was surprised that he withdrew from the tournament after watching the match yesterday,” said Alcaraz, as quoted by journalist Jose Morgado.
“He finished the match playing great tennis and he didn’t show pain at the end of the match. It was a surprise for me. Well, a surprise for me that he withdrew from the tournament.
“He talked with his team, with the doctor, and tennis is like that. Sometimes you have to deal with it.
“But I think not having Djokovic in the tournament, it’s I’m going to say distressing for the fans, not having one of the best players in the world in the tournament.”
French Open fans will really miss Novak Djokovic
It remains to be seen how long Djokovic will be sidelined for, but one certainty is that he wasn’t happy with the playing surface during his meeting with Cerundolo.
It was a victory that left the likes of John McEnroe and Tim Henman speechless, with the win made even more special given how the Serbian had also played five sets in the previous round.
Both matches involving the 37-year-old lasted more than four hours, with Djokovic also needing to come from two sets behind to defeat Lorenzo Musetti.
French Open fans will undoubtedly miss Djokovic and his superb skills on the court, but they can still look forward to the remainder of the men’s singles.
Alcaraz versus newly-crowned number one Sinner should be a thriller, with Casper Rudd awaiting the winner of Alex de Minaur and Alexander Zverev in the other semi-final.
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