“It’s a serious injury and it won’t go away tomorrow” - Boris Becker 'speechless' over Novak Djokovic's 'bitter' French Open withdrawal

Boris Becker expressed his concern over Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from the French Open. The German coached the Serb from 2013-2016 during which their partnership clinched Djokovic six Majors including his first French Open (2016) which helped him complete his career Grand Slam.

The Serb withdrew from the French Open ahead of his quarterfinal against Casper Ruud due to a meniscus tear in his right knee. He had played two consecutive brutal five-setters against Lorenzo Musetti and Francisco Cerundolo, both of which lasted over four hours.

The German tennis legend frequently talks about the 24-time Major champion analyzing his game, acknowledging his achievements and so on.

Commenting on the unfortunate situation to Eurosport, Becker said that the news was bad for Djokovic's fans including himself. He also said that the withdrawal should not come as a surprise since the Serb was limping in his last match against Cerundolo.

"This is bad news for all Djokovic fans, and I'm one of them. You could almost guess it after the match against Cerundolo, which he played with a limp. The painkillers made the fifth set easier, but he had already warned that evening what the next morning would be like. He already had knee problems at the last few tournaments but never spoke about them,” Becker said.

The 56-year-old sent the Serb his best wishes for a speedy recovery but admitted that the situation had left him speechless. He also pondered whether the Serb would need surgery considering Wimbledon was about to start.

"That's obviously very bitter for him. I wish him a speedy recovery so that he is fit again for the grass-court season. It's a serious injury and it won't go away tomorrow. That leaves me a bit speechless. You need your knees on grass, you really do slip all the time. A torn medial meniscus is a serious injury and the question naturally arises as to whether surgery is necessary," Becker said.

"It's a very difficult situation for Novak Djokovic" - Boris Becker

2024 French Open - Day 9

Boris Becker continued in his Eurosport show 'Matchball Becker' to ponder over how Novak Djokovic would deal with the injury considering how Wimbledon and the Olympics were just around the corner and said how the Serb's camp must be worried thinking the same thing.

“It's a serious injury, footballers often have it - and it won't be gone tomorrow. The question is: how do you treat it? Conservatively without surgery or does he have to have it treated arthroscopically?" Becker said.

“Wimbledon starts in four weeks, then the Olympics in six, seven weeks. That's the worst possible time to have an injury. Especially such a bad one. There will now be a lot of discussion in the Djokovic camp about what the right treatment is," he added.

Becker further elaborated on the after-effects of surgery and how it would take a long time to completely recover from a meniscus tear and get back the confidence in your knee again. He then said that the situation looked dire for the Serb.

"After an operation like that, if he needs one, you're on crutches at first, then you lose muscle. It takes weeks, if not months, before you have 100% confidence in your knee again. It's a very difficult situation for Novak Djokovic.”

As a result of his French Open withdrawal, the Serb lost the No. 1 ranking to Jannik Sinner. He is next slated to play at Wimbledon and the Olympics after the clay season. While he is looking to tie Roger Federer's record of eight titles at SW19, he is also on the hunt for the elusive gold medal.