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After suffering a knee injury during the French Open on Monday, tennis star Novak Djokovic said he might be unable to play in the quarterfinal against Casper Ruud on Wednesday.
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or after tomorrow if I’ll be able to step out on the court and play,” Djokovic said, per The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare.
Djokovic also blamed the injury on the court conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
“It seems like some of the clay was removed, so there was very little, almost no clay on the court today,” Djokovic said. “Because of the drier conditions and sun and warmer conditions, it affects the clay in such a way that it becomes very slippery.
“So the injury that I had today with the knee happened exactly because of that, because I slipped, and I slide a lot.”
Djokovic’s injury occurred after the 37-year-old slipped on the court during the second set on Monday. He required medical treatment and was given the maximum allowance of mid-match painkillers. Eccleshare reported that Djokovic’s pain was so bad that “he considered retiring.”
Djokovic said that after the medical staff went through tests on his knee after the match there was “some positive news but also some maybe concerns, so let’s see tomorrow.”
Eccleshare also noted that Djokovic’s representatives are in talks with French Open staff about the court’s conditions.
Djokovic, a three-time winner of the French Open, defeated Ruud in last year’s final to win his most recent Roland Garros. He finished in the semifinals of the Australian Open in January and is looking to respond with a win at the French Open.
The question is whether his knee will permit him to continue into the quarterfinal.
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