Roger Federer pulls out of French Open
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE- In this Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 file photo, Roger Federer of Switzerland wipes the sweat from his face during his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia. Swiss star Roger Federer has pulled out of the French Open because of concerns over the risk of injury. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill, File) (The Associated Press)
Roger Federer has pulled out of the French Open, 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.
Federer says "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."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last week, Federer played at the Italian Open and lost to Dominic Thiem in the third round. He withdrew from the Madrid Open the previous week because of back pain.
The last major Federer missed was the 1999 U.S. Open.