Seventeen-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer announced on Thursday that he would be withdrawing from the upcoming French Open, scheduled to start on Sunday in Paris.

Federer has struggled with injury after undergoing a knee surgery after the Australian Open in January. He participated in the Monte Carlo Masters in April, but was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

"I have been making steady progress, but I am still not 100%," said the World No 3, as reported by the BBC. "I feel I might be taking an unnecessary risk by playing in this event before I am really ready. This decision was not easy to make, but I took it to ensure I could play the remainder of the season and help to extend the rest of my career," he added.