French Open: Novak Djokovic withdraws, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek set for rematch in semifinals

Liz Roscher
·Staff writer
Updated ·3-min read
FILE - Serbia's Novak Djokovic receives medical assistance for his right knee during his fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Monday, June 3, 2024. Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open with an injured right knee on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, ending his title defense and meaning he will relinquish the No. 1 ranking. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)
Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open with an injured right knee on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, ending his title defense and meaning he will relinquish the No. 1 ranking. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File)

Novak Djokovic's quest to win all four major tournaments in a year will have to wait until 2025. The French Open announced Tuesday that the defending champion has withdrawn from the clay court Grand Slam with a right knee injury.

No further details of the knee injury were announced. It's not known when it happened, but he struggled with it during Monday's epic five-set battle against Francisco Cerundolo. The match lasted 4 hours and 39 minutes, and Djokovic needed courtside treatment at least once.

Djokovic was scheduled to face No. 7 Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Ruud will be awarded a walkover (though not a win) and will be automatically advanced to the semifinals, where he'll face either Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur, who are scheduled to play on Wednesday.

Withdrawing from Roland Garros means Djokovic will lose the No. 1 spot in the ATP's rankings. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who just defeated Grigor Dimitrov to advance to the semifinals, should become the next No. 1 no matter how he ends up finishing at the French Open.

Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff keep finding each other at the French Open. One year after they battled in the finals at Roland Garros, Swiatek, the world No. 1 and Gauff, the world No. 3, will face off in the semifinals on Thursday.

Swiatek, a clay court virtuoso, is on another heater at Roland Garros. She's been a wrecking ball so far, demolishing all of her opponents but one in straight sets. (That one was Naomi Osaka, who forced a third set against Swiatek in the second round before bowing out.) She bageled Anastasia Potapova in the fourth round, winning 6-0, 6-0, and then won a third straight 6-0 set against Marketa Vondrousova on Tuesday. It took more than 35 minutes for Vondrousova to win her first game against Swiatek, and she was only able to win one more before Iga completely overwhelmed her.

That will be a lot for Gauff to handle, but she knows what to expect against Swiatek. Her match against Iga in the 2023 final was Gauff's first-ever Grand Slam final, and a year removed from that has only made her more mature and ready to try again. Gauff had a bit more trouble against Ons Jabeur in her quarterfinal match Tuesday. She was unable to find the right shots against the the world No. 1 in the first set, but she eventually prevailed 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

In a top-10 quarterfinal matchup, No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz beat No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. The win sets up a top-three semifinal clash where Alcaraz will take on second-ranked Sinner.

Alcaraz reaches the semifinal for the second time in his career. Djokovic defeated then top-ranked Alcaraz in four sets in the 2023 semifinal en route to winning his third French Open title. A two-time major champion (2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon), Alcaraz will seek to advance to the French Open final for the first time.

Sinner is also seeking to advance to his first French Open final. He secured his first career Grand Slam victory with a comeback win over Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open in January.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Gareth Southgate: ‘I am the problem’

    Gareth Southgate has admitted being England’s major problem at the European Championship, plunging his future as manager in doubt beyond the tournament.

  • Malaysians on tenterhooks after Johor Regent takes on Selangor Sultan in public domain

    The football drama in Malaysia has reached fever-pitch, with the spotlight now on the Johor and Selangor palaces. The post Malaysians on tenterhooks after Johor Regent takes on Selangor Sultan in public domain appeared first on Twentytwo13.

  • Euro 2024: Last-16 fixtures, results, knockout schedule, group standings

    Knockout stages are now set for Euro 2024

  • Transfer news LIVE! Arsenal done deal; Anselmino to Chelsea, Guiu medical; Spurs in new Ramsey bid; Man Utd

    Track all the latest deals, updates, rumours and gossip during the summer window

  • Arsenal confirm summer transfer as newest signing reveals key reason behind move

    The Gunners have bolstered their goalkeeping ranks as they continue to plan for a bright future

  • Life begins at 57 for Japanese striker King Kazu. He acknowledges 'I'm at quite an age'

    Kazuyoshi Miura was matter-of-fact about it this week when he joined Japanese club Atletico Suzuka. “I'm at quite an age," he said in a Tokyo news conference. Miura is 57, and the former Japanese international is still playing after most of his contemporaries have been out of the game for decades.

  • Son Heung-min’s father admits hitting academy player with corner flag

    The father of Son Heung-min, the Tottenham Hotspur forward, has admitted to hitting one of his South Korean football academy students with a corner flag after denying allegations of physical and verbal abuse.

  • Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo saved by stewards as fan jumps from stands at Euro 2024

    Cristiano Ronaldo was at the centre of another European Championship security scare after a fan almost landed on him jumping from the stands.

  • Bronny James to Link Up With Dad at Lakers After Draft Night Shocker

    The Los Angeles Lakers burned a second-round pick to draft LeBron James’ son, Bronny, on Thursday evening—a shock move that makes the duo the first father and son to play at the same time in the NBA. Bronny, just 19, was selected at No. 55 overall. That’s significantly higher than most had the starlet going into this week’s draft in Brooklyn, with his limited basketball résumé holding him back in the eyes of most teams. Still, undoubtedly because of his dad’s stardom, Bronny has found himself on

  • NBA Draft: Lakers select Tennessee star Dalton Knecht with No. 17 overall pick after surprising slide

    Dalton Knecht, 23, was the oldest player selected in the draft when the Lakers picked him at No. 17.

  • France to face Belgium in last-16 at Euro 2024 as line-up takes shape

    France and Belgium, the world's second and third best teams respectively in the Fifa rankings, will meet in the last-16 at Euro 2024 next Monday in Dusseldorf after the line-up for the knockout stages was completed on Wednesday night. Georgia, who are competing at the competition for the first time, beat Portugal 2-0 to move into the last-16 where they will face Spain. "I don't have a lot of words so I will try to stay basic and say that I'm so proud of the players because what an image they hav

  • 2024 NBA Draft grades: First-round pick-by-pick analysis

    Here are Yahoo Sports' complete first-round draft grades.

  • NBA Draft: Timberwolves trade with Spurs for No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham

    Fresh off a breakout season, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded into the lottery Wednesday night.

  • Why Finns are deadly serious about hobby horsing

    A buzz of excitement crackled through the hushed arena as the rider gripped the reins of her stuffed steed.Welcome to the strangely exacting world of hobby horsing, the Finnish sport guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Immaculately-coiffed equestrians leap athletically over fences just like in horse jumping, going as fast as they can against the clock straddling their stick steeds.Things are more stately in the dressage, with riders trotting their stick horses with intricately decorated stuffed heads before the discerning eyes of the judges.Some 260 riders from 22 countries -- most women and girls aged between 10 and 20 -- turned up to compete at the 11th annual Finnish championship held in the town of Seinajoki.But despite its vast international reach, from the Arctic to Argentina, hobby horsing is a sport that dares not speak its name.- 'Insane' athleticism -Despite its soaring popularity, it is not officially recognised as a proper sport in its birthplace."We have faced so much bullying and judgement," rider Nara Arlin, 24, told AFP."We know what everyone in the hobby horsing has been through... I think that is the main thing that pulls us together."First invented in Finland more than a decade ago, hobby horsing has taken off at a gallop across the globe. "It is growing every year," said Julia Mikkonen, the chair of the Finnish hobby horse association.This year's championship was "the biggest we have had so far", she added.Beyond the whimsy, great strength and skill is required to jump the obstacles while holding the hobby horse. Some top competitors could give elite hurdlers or gymnasts a run for their money."If you jump over obstacles your hip mobility has to be absolutely insane," said Mikkonen, 20, with some fences up to 110 centimetres (3.6 feet) tall. - 10,000 enthusiasts -"Of course we are all dreaming of having a world championship one day," said Mikkonen, who estimates there are around 10,000 hobby horsers globally."I am still a bit breathless but I am happy with my performance", said 19-year-old Jojo Hanninen as she sat down after her dressage event. To succeed in the sport you have to channel your inner centaur, she said."In hobby horsing, my legs are the horse... I am both horse and human," she said. Hanninen's hobby horse is a grey called Toope, with glittery reins and pink ribbons adorning its white mane.- Welcoming community -Competitors go to great lengths with their horses -- which are also exhibited and judged -- modelling and sewing the heads and adorning them with decorations.  "Hobby horses are art," said Arlin, who makes her own.With the cheers of the crowd still ringing in her ears after an impressive show jumping round, she hailed the sport as "the best hobby ever"."You are doing so many things with your hands, brain and the whole body."Like many of her peers, Arlin found hobby horsing through play as a child. "But the older I became, it became more serious," said the rider, who trains by riding real horses, working out in the gym and doing pole dancing.Rainbow flags in the arena reflected the tolerant values underpinning the community.   "Horses are mostly seen as a girls' sport, but that is not correct. Anyone can come no matter what gender," Mikkonen said.   Every enthusiast AFP spoke to praised the welcoming community that kept them devoted to hobby horsing despite the scornful attitudes all encountered at some point."We have each other's backs," said Arlin. ank/po/fg/smw

  • Arsenal handed Victor Osimhen transfer boost as new update delivered

    The Gunners and Chelsea have both been strongly linked with the Nigerian international, who is expected to leave Napoli this summer

  • The son also rises: what if Bronny James is the safest pick in the NBA draft?

    The 19-year-old has been derided as a nepo-baller. But growing up around one of the greatest players of all time could help him build a long career as a role player

  • England players’ families caught in crossfire of Southgate backlash and showered with beer at Euros

    England players’ families were soaked “from all angles” when caught in the crossfire of fans throwing plastic beer cups after the Euro 2024 draw against Slovenia on Tuesday.

  • Wimbledon refuses to show Euro 2024 games even if England reach semi-finals

    Wimbledon will not televise any Euro 2024 matches on its grounds during the Championships next month even if England reach the latter stages of the tournament in Germany.

  • Numbers game: 10 statistics that tell the story of Euro 2024’s group stage

    England rank 20th out of 24 in attempts on goal but third in passing accuracy and first in crossing accuracy

  • Euro 2024: Who will England play next and when? Possible opponents for last-16 knockout stage

    The Three Lions top Group C despite a laboured goalless draw against Slovenia in Cologne