CONFIRMED : 20-time Grand Slam champion withdraw from French Open

Roger Federer always viewed this French Open as a step in his comeback from a pair of knee operations, rather than somewhere he seriously could pursue a title. So after a grueling third-round victory, and with Wimbledon just weeks away, Federer decided some rest was in order.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from Roland Garros on Sunday, a day after he eked out a four-set win that lasted until nearly 1 a.m. local time — and a day before he was supposed to face No. 9 seed Matteo Berrettini with a quarterfinal berth at stake.

“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,” Federer said in a statement released by the French tennis federation. “I am thrilled to have gotten 3 matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court.”

Federer, who turns 40 on Aug. 8, was competing in his first major tournament since the 2020 Australian Open. Shortly after that event, he had the first operation on his right knee and wound up missing the rest of last season.

Source: newsnow.com