NEW DELHI: Novak Djokovic surpassed tennis legend Roger Federer after a five-set thriller against Francisco Cerundolo at the French Open on Monday.
This victory marked Djokovic's 370th Grand Slam match win, surpassing Roger Federer for the most in men's singles history. It also secured his 59th Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance, another record.
Djokovic's quest for a record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title was thrown into uncertainty due to a right knee injury. Despite the injury, which he aggravated during the match, Djokovic persevered to defeat Cerundolo in a gruelling encounter.
The match, lasting over four hours, saw Djokovic struggle with his movement and receive a medical timeout for treatment. He considered retirement due to the pain but ultimately continued after receiving the maximum allowed dosage of pain medication.
However, the arduous victory cast doubt on Djokovic's chances of progressing further in the tournament. He expressed significant concern about his fitness for his upcoming quarterfinal match against Casper Ruud, noting the medication's short-term effectiveness and the need for further evaluation.
Djokovic also criticized the court conditions, attributing his injury partly to the slippery clay surface. He suggested that more frequent sweeping could have prevented his injury.
“I mean, today I injured myself. Yes, I survived. I won the match. Great. But will I be able to play next one? I don’t know. I don’t know the severity of the injury. But could have this injury be prevented? Possibly, if there was just a little bit more of a frequent care of the court during the set,” said Djokovic, casting doubts over his fitness ahead of the quarterfinal match against Ruud.
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