Roger Federer participation at French Open in doubt after defeat to Dominic Thiem in Rome Masters

His early exit from the tournament means Andy Murray will return to world No. 2 ahead of the Roland Garros tournament

Roger Federer at the Rome Masters (Getty)

Roger Federer’s participation in the forthcoming French Open is in the balance as the 34-year-old Swiss continues to recover from his latest injury in a season that has been dogged by physical issues.

Federer was beaten 7-6, 6-4 by Dominic Thiem here in the third round of the Rome Masters and now faces a race against time to be fit for Roland Garros. He has appeared in a record 65 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments dating back to the 2000 Australian Open.

“I feel like now obviously time starts ticking more towards Paris,” Federer said after his 78-minute defeat. “The next 10 or 12 days are really going to be important for me to recover and then make a plan.”

The result means that Andy Murray will reclaim the world No 2 position from Federer next week and will be the No 2 seed at the French Open, which begins on Sunday week.

It has been a difficult year for Federer, who had knee surgery in February, pulled out of the Miami Masters in March because of illness and withdrew from last week’s Madrid Masters because of his back problem. Since the end of January he has played in only two tournaments, having belatedly made his comeback at last month’s Monte Carlo Masters, where he lost in the quarter-finals.

Federer did not want to go into detail about his latest problem, saying only that it was “something to do with the back”. He added: “I just feel the body is not ready.”

He said that he would not start the French Open if he felt as he had before his first match here, when he had expected to lose in straight sets to Alexander Zverev. However, the 17-times Grand Slam champion was happy that he had played two matches this week and said the defeat to Thiem was irrelevant in the bigger picture.

Although he did not move with his usual fluency, Federer made the first break of serve in the opening set, only for Thiem to break back and force the tie-break, which he won 7-2. The Austrian made the crucial break in the second set at 2-2 when he chased down a Federer volley to hit a winning forehand cross-court pass.

“It was important that I didn't have any setbacks and I was able to step on the tennis court and that I tried what I could with what I had,” Federer said.

“I'm so happy that I didn't get hurt again this week, that it was worth it that I played on the court. OK it was compromised, but that I don't care about. I'm just happy I'm through the tournament now and I can look ahead. Now I can pace myself. In a match you cannot really pace yourself.”

Roger Federer at the Rome Masters (Getty)

Federer described this week’s Rome Masters as “an information tournament for me, never a result tournament”. He explained: “I knew I wasn't good enough for any result here, so that's why I hope you don't read into it so much and I don't.

“For me, I need to see this completely in isolation. I cannot carry any luggage from here other than the positive information out of Rome. It just needs to stay here, the results, what I couldn't do and how limited I was. I was far off. I need to see it completely in isolation.

“If I see it that way, actually things are pretty good. If you look at the results and how I played things are not great, but those things can change very quickly, as we know. If I can play 100 per cent again and move again correctly, my mind's in a good place and my game is there.”

Asked if he thought he might be running out of time to make the French Open, Federer said: “I'm confident and hopeful at the same time. I have only played five matches in the last, what is it, four months now, so clearly I don't want to get too overly excited about what's ahead.

“But at the same time I'm a positive thinker and I believe that I'm going to recover well from Madrid and here now, that hopefully the next 10 days are going to be easier and I can practise really well starting next week.”

Federer never considered missing the whole of the clay-court season in order to focus on grass. He said that his enforced withdrawal from the Miami tournament had actually given him the chance to work more on clay this year. He practised at the Monte Carlo Masters for 10 days before the start of the tournament.

“I guess I never had better clay-court preparation,” he said. “I have a lot of hours on the clay already this year - maybe not on match courts, but on practice courts. I actually thought I could really do a good result in Paris.

“It’s been more difficult in the last couple of weeks. I see my chances as not great to have the most unbelievable run [at the French Open]. But if maybe in three or four days I can practise 100 per cent for next week, then I believe that something is possible again. But as of now, clearly the way I'm playing right now is never going to be enough for any good run in Paris.”