Alcaraz and Sinner look back at Djokovic's withdrawal: a clear loss for the tournament

Novak Djokovic is no longer a title contender at this year's French Open. With his right knee injured, he has withdrawn from the tournament and underwent surgery on Wednesday. While this announcement opens up new prospects for a number of players, starting with Casper Ruud, who has reached the semi-finals without having to play, it is nonetheless a loss for the tournament.

In this respect, the words of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner command respect. Despite being rid of one of their most dangerous rivals, both insisted on the negative aspect of this announcement. Without consulting each other, the two young wolves seem to have agreed: Djokovic's withdrawal is sad news.

Without going into too much detail, Sinner explained that the Serb's withdrawal was inevitably negative for the tournament, but also for tennis: "You know, it's difficult for the tournament too. Novak's withdrawal is always difficult". For his part, Alcaraz has no real doubts about the 'Djoker's' ability to make a speedy comeback: "He's spoken to his team, the doctors, and if the injury is serious, you sometimes have to make this kind of decision. I hope he recovers quickly. He's shown in the past that he's capable of coming back quickly and strongly from injury".