Roger Federer just announced that he is withdrawing from this year’s French Open, after failing to recover in time from a back injury sustained early this month.
The Swiss tennis star said in a May 19 statement that he is “still not 100 percent and feel I might be taking an unnecessary risk by playing in this event.”
The 17-time grand slam winner and two-time Olympic gold medalist said, "I regret to announce that I have made the decision not to play in this year’s French Open. I have been making steady progress with my overall fitness, but I am still not 100 percent and feel I might be taking an unnecessary risk by playing in this event before I am really ready.
“This decision was not easy to make, but I took it to ensure I could play the remainder of the season and help to extend the rest of my career. I remain as motivated and excited as ever and my plan is to achieve the highest level of fitness before returning to the ATP World Tour for the upcoming grass court season. I am sorry for my fans in Paris but I very much look forward to returning to Roland Garros in 2017,” Federer, 34, said.
Federer is currently ranked No. 3 in the world—behind Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
The qualifiers for the French Open started on May 16, with the first round set to begin on May 22, and run through June 5.
