Roger Federer pulls out of Madrid Masters to attend the birth of his third child

Roger Federer

Swiss maestro Roger Federer has withdrawn from the ATP Mutua Madrid Masters to be with his wife Mirka Vavrinec, who is expecting the couple’s third baby.

Federer, ranked 4th in the world, was going after a fourth Madrid title and had displayed form at the start of the claycourt season in Monte Carlo, which made him one of the contenders for the title. The Swiss had been given a bye in the first round and the fourth seed was expected to take on Frenchman Gilles Simon in the second round.

Federer had earlier indicated that he would be ready to give the French Open a skip if it coincided with the birth of the baby, but it now appears that the Swiss could be back just in time before the Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

Federer announced his decision to withdraw on Facebook, posting the following status on his profile:

Post by Roger Federer.