Novak Djokovic is unsure whether he will be able to play in the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday after injuring his right knee and needing anti-inflammatory tablets during an epic fourth-round victory over Francisco Cerundolo.
The world number 1 limped to the quarter-finals of the French Open after braving a knee injury to win the longest French Open match of his career.
He beat Cerundolo – in another five sets – 6-1 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3 in four hours and 39 minutes.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion, whose five-set match against Lorenzo Musetti ended after 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, revealed he had been struggling with his knee for a few weeks but the injury recurred when he slipped on the field at first. from the second set and I refined it.
He began grimacing and rubbing his right knee shortly after winning the first set and required a medical timeout in the next before being visited by a trainer and doctor several times.
Djokovic was heard telling the physio: “I broke my knee. I slip and slide all the time.”
Djokovic rubs his knee after winning the first set
The 37-year-old will face Casper Ruud on Wednesday in a rematch of last year’s final.
“At one point I didn’t know whether or not to continue what was happening. I received the medication and then after the third round was over I asked for more medication and received it.” , declared the three-time winner of Roland-Garros. champion.
“That was the maximum dose that was applied…after 30 to 45 minutes, which was about the time at the end of the fourth set that things really started to improve for me. I started to feel less limitations in my movements.
“The whole fifth set went almost without any pain, which is great. But the effect of the drugs won’t last too long, so I’ll see. We’ll do more screenings, tests and checks tomorrow, because Good.
“We’ve done it with the doctor now. Positive news but also some concerns, so let’s see tomorrow. I can’t tell you more at the moment. I’m happy to have been able to play the fifth set. . I don’t I didn’t feel any pain for two and a half sets. But you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.
“The good thing about the Slam is you have a day in between, which will hopefully allow the healing process to happen more effectively for me.
“That’s it. I don’t know what happens tomorrow – or the day after tomorrow, if I’ll be able to go out on the field and play. You know, I hope so. Let’s see what happens.
“It’s something that happened. It’s an unforeseen and unpredictable injury, and so I have to rethink or reschedule with my medical team and my physical therapist the recovery time and focus it primarily on the knee.”
Djokovic, who also fell late in the competition, said drier conditions after a week of rain had affected the clay.
“The injury I had today on my knee happened exactly because of that, because I slipped and slid a lot,” he added.
“Everyone slides on clay, but I’ve slipped way too many times. It’s quite unusual. I do it, because I have an aggressive movement, a dynamic change of direction. It’s normal for me .
“I have slipped and fallen on clay many times in my life, as well as on grass, but it was just too many times today.”
Djokovic said his team was having a conversation with tournament officials about why its requests to have the courts swept more frequently were denied.
“Today I got injured. I survived. I won the match. Great. But will I be able to play the next one? I don’t know,” he added.
“I don’t know the severity of the injury. But could this injury have been avoided? Maybe, if there was just a little more frequent care on the court during the set.”
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