Written 1 year ago by Will O'Callaghan

---

Roger Federer has confirmed this afternoon that he will miss the French Open, which gets underway on Sunday.

It’s the first Slam that the Swiss will miss in 65 tournaments – going back to 1999.

The 34-year-old missed the recent Madrid Open after injuring his back in the build up but returned in Rome this past week where he was knocked out in the third-round.

“I regret to announce that I have made the decision not to play in this year’s French Open,” he wrote in a statement on his Facebook page. “I have been making steady progress with my overall fitness, but I am still not 100% 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.”

Image – Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images Europe

---