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Actor chimes in following Cerundolo thriller
June 03, 2024
Novak Djokovic celebrates his 2023 US Open title with Matthew McConaughey.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Novak Djokovic celebrates his 2023 US Open title with Matthew McConaughey.
By ATP Staff
When Novak Djokovic completed his second consecutive thrilling five-set win at Roland Garros Monday in Paris, it is safe to assume that actor Matthew McConaughey was thinking, "Alright, alright, alright!"

The celebrity, a fan and friend of Djokovic's, took to Twitter, formerly known as X, to share his thoughts on the Serbian's latest comeback.

"The GOAT. more than a mental machine. @DjokerNole," McConaughey posted.

The actor has supported the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings in the past, too. McConaughey was in Djokovic's player box for the 2023 US Open final, in which the tennis star claimed his 24th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic will try to continue his run in the quarter-finals against Casper Ruud.

Serbian reveals how a few games of pétanque primed him for epic Cerundolo win
June 03, 2024
Novak Djokovic edges Francisco Cerundolo on Monday for his second consecutive five-set win at Roland Garros.
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic edges Francisco Cerundolo on Monday for his second consecutive five-set win at Roland Garros.
By ATP Staff
Novak Djokovic’s latest survival act at Roland Garros did not come without a physical toll.

The No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings delivered a typically resilient display to outlast Francisco Cerundolo on Monday evening in Paris and record back-to-back five-set wins at the clay-court major. The Serbian was unsure just how high the price he had to pay for his victory was, however, and he spoke cautiously when asked about the knee that he tweaked at the start of the second set in his fourth-round triumph.

“For the last couple weeks I have had slight discomfort, I would call it, in the right knee, but I haven't had an injury that would be concerning me at all," said Djokovic in his post-match press conference. "I was playing a few tournaments with it, and had no issues until today.

“Of course, [the] late finish from a few nights ago didn't help the sleeping, the biorhythm, and recovery. But I actually felt great coming into the match — as good as I could under the circumstances — and played really well first set. Then in the third game of the second set, I slipped, one of the many times that I slipped and fell today. That affected the knee.”


Djokovic was glad that the medication provided by tournament medical staff to treat the injury kicked in just in time for him to launch his stunning comeback from 2-4 in the fourth set.

“I started feeling the pain and asked for the physio treatment and the medical timeout and tried to take care of it,” he said. “It did disrupt me definitely in play. For two sets, two sets and a half, I didn't want to stay in the rally too long. Every time he would make sudden drop shots or change directions, I would not be feeling comfortable to do the running.

“At one point I didn't know, to be honest, whether I should continue or not with what's happening. I got the medications, and then after the third set was done, I asked for more medications, and I got them.”

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The site of Djokovic rallying back from the brink to triumph in an epic five-setter may be a familiar tale in the context of the Serbian’s illustrious career, but there was something unique about his preparation prior to his marathon triumph against Cerundolo. Having finished his third-round victory against Lorenzo Musetti at 3:07 a.m. on Sunday morning, the latest finish in tournament history, he opted not to practise on his day off.

“I played pétanque yesterday,” revealed Djokovic. “That was as hard of an activity as I had yesterday, in Bois de Boulogne with my friends. [It was] just a really easy day. I slept most of that day yesterday and did a lot of physio work and some of the water work as well. Some of the exercises in the water that always help reduce the strain on the joints and muscles, and tried to get a decent sleep again, which I did.

“[Today] I came to the court, I warmed up well, first set great. I didn't feel that the last match has affected me so much that I'm unable to run or to sustain the level. I played for over four-and-a-half hours. It was longer than the match against Musetti. So physically I'm okay. Thankfully I was able to recover quickly.”

Djokovic’s next task will be to prepare for his quarter-final clash against Casper Ruud. The top seed hopes his knee recovers as well as possible leading into the rematch of last year's Roland Garros final on Wednesday.

“I did carry it with me for a couple of weeks, but I did not feel that it was affecting me on the court," said Djokovic of the injury. "Meaning as soon as I would warm up, I would feel fine. I would run, I would do splits, slides, whatever. It wasn't any kind of an issue when I start to play.

“When I was cold, that's where I feel the discomfort. So today, again, we did put an extra care and attention to the knee in the last few days, my physio and I. It's like we predicted something might happen, so that helped, but I don't know.

“Today is just one of these things when you're on the court, you slip, do a bad move, you're in an unstable, unbalanced position. I guess that's probably a weaker part of my body that has had some few weeks of history, I guess that reacted. That's all I know for now.”

Serbian withdraws due to right-knee injury
June 04, 2024
Novak Djokovic is a record 24-time major champion.
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Novak Djokovic is a record 24-time major champion.
By ATP Staff
Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from Roland Garros due to a right-knee injury, the tournament announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Djokovic advanced to the quarter-finals of the clay-court major behind back-to-back five-set victories against Lorenzo Musetti and Francisco Cerundolo. However, the Serbian struggled with his right knee during his Monday win against Cerundolo.

"I am really sad to announce that I have to withdraw from #rolandgarros. 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," Djokovic wrote on Instagram. "I wish the best of luck to the players competing this week and sincerely thank the incredible fans for all of the love and continued support. See you soon. With love and gratitude, Nole"

After his fourth-round match, Djokovic revealed that he had felt the knee since before the tournament.

“For the last couple weeks I have had slight discomfort, I would call it, in the right knee, but I haven't had an injury that would be concerning me at all," said Djokovic in his post-match press conference. "I was playing a few tournaments with it, and had no issues until today."

Two-time Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud advances to the semi-finals. The Norwegian will play fourth seed Alexander Zverev or 11th seed Alex de Minaur for a place in the final.

"Not the way I wanted to advance to the semi-finals here at Roland Garros, but very happy with my win last night and to still be here in Paris and getting another chance to play on Friday!" Ruud wrote on Instagram. "Also sending best wishes and a speedy recovery to Novak and hope we see @djokernole back on court soon."

With Djokovic's withdrawal, Jannik Sinner is guaranteed to climb to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings on 10 June. Sinner will become the first Italian and 29th player overall to achieve the feat.