In a turn of events that impacts the draw massively at the French Open, Roger Federer has pulled out of this year’s tournament due to ongoing struggles with a persistent back injury. The aftermath of this news not only has great ramifications for Roger Federer himself, but also for the likes of his fellow professionals who move higher in the seedings in tomorrow’s draw.
First of all, is the news of Federer majorly surprising considering the amount of tournaments he’s played this year? Probably not. He’s always been keen to prioritize Wimbledon over the years. He knows that the grass court of Wimbledon is not only his best surface, but it’s also no secret to anyone that as the Swiss Number 1 has got older that the grass courts are the best surface for his body at the age of 34 years old. The grass courts allow him to further express his brand of quick fire tennis and also enables less wear and toil on his body after finishing a Best of 5 sets match up on Centre Court.
Roger Federer Withdraws from Roland Garros
Federer has played just four tournaments this season; he was originally shortening his clay schedule in order to provide better preparation for his body as he grows older, but the arrival and emergence of his knee injury that required surgery after the Australian Open and also now the back injury that’s hindered his clay court swing further suggests that perhaps these injuries may affect his career in the long run. We also need to put into perspective that this is the first Grand Slam tournament that Roger Federer will miss in sixteen years of non-stop major tennis; that equates to 69 consecutive slam entries that Federer has played dating as far back as the US Open 1998 as his last absence in a Grand Slam. So, it can’t be overstated the significance of this withdrawal and not only do we have to focus on this rare withdrawal at Slam level, but we’ve also got to factor that Federer has spent a large portion of his career perfectly fine with no ailments that has hindered him significantly, so it can be argued that perhaps his body is starting to react to the rigors and demands of a very physically and brutally demanding professional sport that tennis is.
When looking at the counter argument of whether this withdrawal could prove very crucial in the longevity of Roger Federer’s career, you can also argue the case that French Open wouldn’t have been one of his greater ambitions in 2016. He recognizes completely that Grand Slam trophies won’t come around very often for him at this stage in his career, so perhaps he’s mainly maximizing the opportunity of claiming another Grand Slam in SW19. That’s his best chance at a Grand Slam and with no realistic ambition for glory in Paris, this means that Wimbledon has to be his sole focus. Also the expulsion of Madrid and Roland Garros from his schedule shows to a certain extent the intent to do well at the Olympics for one last time. Many other players, including Federer, will be looking to shorten their tour schedule with the Olympics tournament in Rio being on the horizon. So it can be argued that Federer fans shouldn’t feel too pessimistic as of yet.
The news of Roger Federer’s withdrawal also has serious affects on the Men’s draw and its seedings. Rafael Nadal will now be the #4 seed, which effectively means he won’t face Novak Djokovic until at least the semifinal stage. Originally with Roger Federer’s presence he would have the prospect of potentially meeting Djokovic in the quarterfinal stage like last year in his straight sets loss. I think to a certain extent that it evens the draw out slightly, four realistic Roland Garros contenders will be the top four seeds now with Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, and Wawrinka comprising those positions with all four players making legitimate claims for the title this year due to previous exploits and/or current form.
This is Federer’s first withdrawal from a Grand Slam in his career. Will this become a chain-reaction for Federer’s future grand slam appearances? Probably not, but with a seemingly permanently healthy Federer throughout his career it’s enough reason to suggest that perhaps the end of his career is in sight.
Main Photo: MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – APRIL 15: Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a backhand during the quarter final match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France on day six of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters at Monte-Carlo Sporting Club on April 15, 2016 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
