Knee surgery forces Novak Djokovic out of Wimbledon

The 24-time grand slam champion suffered a knee injury during his five-set win over Francisco Cerundolo in the French Open fourth round on Monday.

Djokovic underwent an MRI scan on Tuesday which revealed a torn medial meniscus in his right knee and forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

L'Equipe reported that Djokovic will have surgery on Wednesday which would make his participation at Wimbledon, which begins on July 1, virtually impossible.

But the 37-year-old could be fit in time for the Paris Olympics, with the tennis event also being played at Roland Garros.

Djokovic won an Olympic bronze medal in 2008 and has made no secret of his desire to add a gold medal to his glittering career record.

The seven-time Wimbledon winner gave no hints of a recovery period in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

He said: "I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from Roland Garros.

"I played with my heart and gave my all in yesterday's match and unfortunately, due to a medial meniscus tear in my right knee, my team and I had to make a tough decision after careful consideration and consultation."

The Serbian's withdrawal from Roland Garros not only cost him the chance to defend his title but also the world number one ranking, with Italian Jannik Sinner to rise to top spot on Monday.

Djokovic was due to play Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud, who is now straight through to the semi-finals.