The speculation is over: Roger Federer will not play in this year’s French Open.
The 18-time major champion made the announcement on his website on Monday, a week before the Open is set to begin.
“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 35-year-old Federer wrote on the site.
The ATP is the Association of Tennis Professionals.
“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. I will miss the French fans, who have always been so supportive and I look forward to seeing them at Roland Garros next year.”
This isn’t the first long absence for Federer. In 2016, he missed the last six months of the season with a knee injury.
Federer, who started off this season by winning the Australian Open, Indian Wells and the Miami Open, did not play in any clay court tournaments this season. He has won the French Open once, in 2009. He’s had much more success on grass and at the next major tournament on the tennis calendar, Wimbledon, which he has won seven times.
The withdrawal of Federer further solidifies nine-time champion Rafael Nadal as the favorite to win at Roland Garros, the Paris stadium where the tournament takes place. Nadal is undefeated on clay this season, having just won the Madrid Open title.