The French Open will witness a new men's singles champion on Sunday following Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from his quarterfinal match. Consequently, men's tennis will also see a shift in the No.1 ranking, with Italy's Jannik Sinner ascending to the top.
Defending champion Djokovic, who emerged victorious in a grueling five-set match the previous day, has pulled out of the tournament at Roland-Garros due to a right knee injury, thereby forfeiting his quarterfinal match.
Djokovic's exit propels Casper Ruud into the semifinals, where he will face either Germany's Alexander Zverev or Australia's Alex De Minaur on Friday.
After his five-set triumph over Francisco Cerundolo on Monday, the Serbian world No.1 revealed that he had been dealing with the knee issue before Paris, and the condition worsened during his fourth-round win against the Argentine.
“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 on Monday night.
"You know, I hope so. Let's see what happens,” he added.
With Djokovic, who aimed to clinch his 25th Grand Slam title, exiting the French Open, a new men's singles champion will emerge in Paris on Sunday.
Sinner is set to make history for Italy as he ascends to the world No.1 spot when the next rankings are released the day after Roland-Garros concludes.
Djokovic needed to at least reach the final of the French Open to potentially retain his top ranking. However, his withdrawal on Tuesday ensures that Sinner will take over the No.1 position from the Serbian.
Sinner will be the first Italian man to achieve the No.1 ranking in singles. On Tuesday, Sinner defeated 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3), and is scheduled to face either Carlos Alcaraz or Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday.
In the top half of the draw, the finalists will be determined from Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev, or Alex De Minaur.
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