Eighteen-time grand slam champion Roger Federer has announced he will not participate in the French Open.
Federer beat rival Rafael Nadal to claim the Australian Open title in January but, at 35, has made the decision to skip the entire clay court season to remain at peak condition.
In an open letter addressed to his fans on rogerfederer.com, he explained his absence from Roland Garros was part of his bid to “try and play on the ATP World Tour for many years to come”.
Federer’s note read: “Regrettably, I’ve decided not to participate in the French Open. 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.
“The start to the year has been magical for me but I need to recognise 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.
“I will miss the French fans, who have always been so supportive and I look forward to seeing them at Roland Garros next year.”
The Swiss also missed last year’s French Open through injury, the first time he failed to make the trip to Paris since his debut in 1999.
He won the tournament for the only time in 2009 and is a four-time runner-up.
