Fans have a split opinion on Novak Djokovic’s worrying comments after reaching the French Open quarter-finals.
The 37-year-old produced his second successive five-set victory in Paris to advance to the 18th last eight match at the tournament.
It was all the more miraculous given his struggles with a knee injury during the contest, but the Serbian overcame his physical woes to register a 6-1, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.
But ahead of his next match on Wednesday, the World Number one cast doubt over his participation.
What have tennis fans said about Novak Djokovic’s injury update?
After his knee began to cause him problems, during his post match press conference, Djokovic hinted at possibly withdrawing from the tournament. “I have had a minor knee problem for a few weeks , but it is not a big deal. Then I slipped in the second set and I felt pain,” he said.
“I took a lot of painkillers and they started to take effect at the end of the fourth. I don’t know if I will play in the quarterfinals , we will wait and see.”
Fans took to social media to voice their views as X user @hopscotchtennis said: “Wishing you a speedy recovery. All the best to you champion,” while @CostaKentrell said: “He will be back stronger.” @Alcarass03 posted: “Hope Novak can get well soon.” @a_concordia tweeted: “he looked really bad – I don’t think he should play.”
On the other hand, some fans still expect him to play as @augustagarei said: “No way he does not play. He is 37 years old and this is 1/5 tournaments he is trying to peak for.” @xxaliceinx wrote: “Of course he will play” and @ProLib52 then said: “We all know he’s playing, right?”
Who does Novak Djokovic play next?
During Monday’s match Djokovic appeared to be dealing with some pain in his right knee as he struggled to quickly change direction and had difficulty moving to his forehand side.
But he began to regain some movement towards the end of the fourth set and he took control before winning his first career meeting with Cerundolo.
Should Djokovic take to the court on Wednesday, he will face Casaper Ruud for the seventh time. This will also be a rematch of the 2023 Roland Garros final, which the Word number one claimed in three sets.
Ruud, who beat Taylor Fritz to reach the last eight, said of playing Djokovic again: “I’m playing the quarterfinal in a few days against Novak. I have nothing to lose.
“I’m gonna try to enjoy it. It’s gonna be another match against him. It’s always tough. No matter where you play him, it’s one of the toughest challenges in our sport. We played obviously last year here in the final. I’m gonna try my best to get revenge.”
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
