Roger Federer withdrew from the 2017 French Open

Not really surprising really. Clay court tennis, while Roger Federer is a strong competitor on the surface, at this point in his career better for him to skip it. Let him focus on his true bread and butter, grass courts.

The man himself posted on his website the following statement,

Dear Fans,

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 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.

Roger

Honestly, I think this is the right move for him. If he has any chance of winning another major (#19), it’s going to happen on a fast court like Wimbledon. His style of play in 2017 would be best served (and volleyed) on a slick court like grass or a fast hard court like Cincinnati. He’s clearly been at a whole other level this year, so why exert extra energy on the slow courts in Paris?

Skipping clay in 2017

If it weren’t obvious, Roger will be skipping the entirety of the 2017 clay court season. I agree here. Rest, train, prepare for the fast stuff in the second half of the season.