Roger Federer has withdrawn from Roland Garros for a second straight year.

Federer, who last year missed the tournament due to his knee injury, has opted to skip the second slam of the year in order to prolong his career.

He will instead use the time to prepare for the grass court and hard court seasons.

"Regrettably, I've decided not to participate in the French Open," Federer revealed in a statement on his website.

"I've been working really hard, both on and off the court, during the last month but in order to try and play on the ATP World Tour for many years to come, I feel it's best to skip the clay court season this year and prepare for the grass and hard court seasons.

"The start to the year has been magical for me but I need to recognize that scheduling will be the key to my longevity moving forward.

"Thus, my team and I concluded today that playing just one event on clay was not in the best interest of my tennis and physical preparation for the remainder of the season.

"I will miss the French fans, who have always been so supportive and I look forward to seeing them at Roland Garros next year."

Federer, 35 has not played in a tournament since April 2, when he won the Miami Open, his third title of the year.