Swiss ace Roger Federer has decided to withdraw from the French Open despite reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros.
“After discussions with my team, I’ve decided I will need to pull out of the French Open today,” the 20-time Grand Slam winner said in a statement.
“After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation it’s important that I listen to my body and make sure I don’t push myself too quickly on my road to recovery. I am thrilled to have gotten 3 matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court. See everyone soon!”
“The Roland-Garros tournament organisers have learned that Roger Federer has withdrawn from the fourth round of the tournament,” the statement read on Sunday evening. Federer said that he did not want to push himself too much whilst on the road to recovery after two operations.
Federer was slated to play Italy's Matteo Berrettini on Monday.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion defeated Germany's Dominik Koepfer 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 in the third round on Saturday evening, past midnight.
Federer underwent two knee surgeries last year and is competing in only his third event since the 2020 Australian Open.
"We go through these matches, we analyse them highly and look on what's next and will do the same tonight and tomorrow, because I need to decide if I keep on playing or not or is it not too much risk at this moment to keep on pushing, or is this just a perfect way to just take a rest?"
"Because I don't have the week in between here and Halle (the grass-court tournament preferred for Wimbledon tune-up) like normal to see what's best now, if you count back from Wimbledon and so forth. It's just a lot going on, but having a match like this, knowing I could have probably played a fifth set but not knowing how I will wake up tomorrow is interesting, to say the least," said Federer
Two months shy of his 40th birthday, Federer, the 2009 champion, and probably taking part in his last Roland Garros, reached the second week for the 15th time.
Federer is an eight-time Wimbledon singles champion and he is aiming for his 21 Grand Slam title at his favourite Grand Slam, which commences on 28 June.
The Swiss great made 63 unforced errors during the match Koepfer, quite unlike Federer as the contest as he avoided what would have been his earliest exit from the French Open since 2004.
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