Roger Federer mulling withdrawal from French Open 2021: I don’t know if I am going to play

Roger Federer might have to pull out of the ongoing French Open 2021 in Paris if his knee cannot handle the rigours of the tournament anymore, the Swiss tennis legend said after his Round 3 match victory on Saturday.

Federer prevailed in a marathon four-set thriller against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer to move into the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament for a record-extending 68th time. The 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 7-5 win saw Federer play the longest match in his career in the last 18 months, since the two surgeries on his right knee last year.

“I don’t know if I am going to play,” said Federer whose 3hr 35min match ended after midnight in Paris and was played without spectators on Court Philippe Chatrier due to a coronavirus curfew.

Federer, who is playing just his third event since the 2020 Australian Open, is scheduled to face Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the round of 16 on Monday.

“I have to decide whether or not to continue playing. Is it too risky to keep putting pressure on the knee? Is it a good time to rest?.

“Every match I have to reassess the situation and see the next morning in what state I wake up and how my knee is doing,” added Federer, who will turn 40 on August 8.

This is only the second time that Federer is taking part in the Roland Garros since 2015, he hadn’t appeared on the Grand Slam stage since Jan. 30, 2020, when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals.

In addition to last year’s absence because of the knee issues, he withdrew in 2016 citing a bad back, then sat out the clay-court circuit each of the next two years to focus on the grass-court portion of the season.

Federer even acknowledged recently that he has zero chance of claiming the trophy this time around in Paris; instead, he is hoping to tune up his game to be ready to challenge for a championship at Wimbledon, where play begins in late June.

The 20-time Grand Slam title winner has always said Wimbledon is his priority this year. He is chasing a ninth title at the All England Club where the action starts on June 28. He is also scheduled to play the warm-up grass court tournament in Halle beginning on June 14, the day after the French Open ends.