Roger Federer announced that he won’t be taking part in the upcoming French Open this year. In a statement release on his official website, Federer said that he has decided to give the clay court season a miss this year “and prepare for the grass and hard court seasons.”
“Regrettably, I’ve decided not to participate in the French Open,” the 35-year-old said in the statement, “I’ve been working really hard, both on and off the court, during the last month but in order to try and play on the ATP World Tour for many years to come, I feel it’s best to skip the clay court season this year and prepare for the grass and hard court seasons.”
Federer started the year with a win at the Australian Open. The Swiss great was making a return from injury that had kept him out for more than a year.
“The start to the year has been magical for me but I need to recognize that scheduling will be the key to my longevity moving forward. Thus, my team and I concluded today that playing just one event on clay was not in the best interest of my tennis and physical preparation for the remainder of the season.”
Federer has since won the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open. According to AP, Federer’s agent, Tony Godsick, confirmed that the 18-time Grand Slam champion will not compete at the year’s second major tournament, which starts in Paris on May 28.
Source: Indian Express