Roger Federer pulled out of the French Open on Thursday, ending his record of appearing in 65 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments dating back to 2000.
The 17-time major champion, who had a knee operation this year but returned to play at the Monte Carlo Masters in early April, has been dealing with a back problem that has limited his schedule in recent weeks.
"I regret to announce that I have made the decision not to play in this year's French Open," Federer said in a statement on his website. "I have been making steady progress with my overall fitness, but I am still not 100 percent and feel I might be taking an unnecessary risk by playing in this event before I am really ready."
last week, Federer played at the Italian Open and lost to Dominic Thiem in third round.