Britain’s Andy Murray has withdrawn from the French Open to prioritize the grass court season in the run-up to Wimbledon.
Murray, 36, has played at Roland Garros only once since 2017.
Three-time Grand Slam champion He won the Clay Court Challenger event at Aix-en-Provence in May, but struggled for consistency on the surface.
The French Open, the second major tournament of the year, takes place from May 28 to June 11.
Murray lost to longtime rival Stan Wawrinka in Bordeaux earlier this week and also had early exits at ATP Tour events in Rome, Madrid and Monte Carlo.
However, he beat world number 17 Tommy Ball when he came back from a set in Aix-en-Provence against the American to claim his first clay court title since 2016 and his first singles title in four years.
Murray said earlier in May that he was unsure about playing at Roland Garros, telling The Guardian: “It’s the right thing to prioritize at this point in my career.
“I trust my body now but I know my best chance at deep sprinting is likely to happen at Wimbledon.”
Murray is set to play in the Cinch Championships at the Queen’s Club, which takes place from June 19-25.
The first event of the British grass court season will be the Surbiton Cup from 4-11 June.
Murray reached the final of the 2016 French Open, when he lost to Novak Djokovic, and reached the semi-finals the following year, with Wawrinka ending the challenge.
The Scotsman dropped to 503 in the men’s rankings after that Perform hip resurfacing surgery to save your career in 2019 But he worked himself up to 42nd in the world.
At the Australian Open in January, he spent 10 1/2 hours on court in victories over Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis, before being knocked out in the third round by Roberto Bautista Agut.
Murray joins Rafael Nadal is a 14-time champion By withdrawing from Roland Garros, while Italian Berrettini and Australian Nick Kyrgios withdrew.
Analysis – Playing on grass is the best preparation for Wimbledon
Russell Fuller, BBC Tennis correspondent
Murray’s main goal now is Wimbledon – and if possible try to get seeded.
He is currently ranked 42nd, and although only the top 32 will be ranked, quite a few players will be missing due to injury.
By not playing at Roland Garros, Murray is missing out on some important ranking points.
But the trade-off is that he will now likely be able to play in the Surbiton Turf Challenger event taking place in week two of the French Open.
Murray has played on clay in Madrid, Aix-en-Provence, Rome and Bordeaux last month. Some rest and an early chance to put his shoes back on the court is now considered the best preparation for Wimbledon.
