By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The legendary Roger Federer is out of the 2021 French Open.
As surprising as it seems, Federer did not choose to play his fourth-round duel with world no. 9 Matteo Berrettini that gave the Italian tennis player an outright seat in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
After a hard-fought win against Dominik Koepfer in the third round, 6-7, 7-6, 6-7, 5-7, the living legend from Switzerland said he won’t be pursuing the next rounds and decided to rest both of his knees after having successful surgeries due to injuries.
Heading into his highly-anticipated clash with Berretini, Federer announced that he has to assess his knees again to prevent further injuries that might happen.
“After discussions with my team, I decided that I should withdraw from the French Open today. After two knee operations and more than a year of rehabilitation, it’s important that I listen to my body and not rush back into competition,” Federer said.
The Swiss Maestro added that his main goal was to have a strong finish in the upcoming 2021 Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament, the tennis surface that he dominates the most.
Federer’s Grand Slam comeback featured huge wins in the first three rounds including a fiery slugfest against hard-hitting Marin Cilic.
Even Federer was surprised that he went as far as the fourth-round and told the Roland Garros media that he entered the Grand Slam tourney with very low expectations.
“Obviously, he got the matches that he needed and he wanted. The main period for him over the years is the grass-court season – he obviously enjoys all the Grand Slams and different surfaces but grass comes so naturally to him and that’s where he has had the most success. So, yes, obviously perfect for him. I think it’s absolutely perfect preparation,” said Eurosport tennis expert Mats Wilander.
