This archive report was first published on 2 September 2019.
September 2, 2019, marked a disappointing day for Novak Djokovic as he withdrew from the US Open due to a persistent left shoulder injury.
The world number one, 32, was trailing 6-4 7-5 2-0 against Swiss 23rd seed Stan Wawrinka when he decided to retire, citing constant pain in his shoulder.
"I'm sorry for the crowd. They came to see a full match but it wasn't to be," Djokovic said in a statement.
Wawrinka, 34, will now face Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals.
Djokovic's withdrawal was not entirely unexpected, as he had been struggling with the injury throughout the tournament. He had needed intense treatment three times during his second-round match against Juan Ignacio Londero on Wednesday.
Despite showing few signs of the issue in his previous match against Denis Kudla, the intensity of the pain returned against Wawrinka, forcing Djokovic to retire.
"It is very frustrating. Of course it hurts that I had to retire," Djokovic added.
