Switzerland's Roger Federer reacts as he plays against Germany's Dominik Koepfer during their men's singles third round tennis match on Day 7 of The Roland Garros 2021 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 5, 2021. (MARTIN BUREAU / AFP)

Former world number one Roger Federer has withdrawn from the French Open a day after winning his third-round match, organizers said on Sunday.

"After discussions with my team, I decided that I should withdraw from the French Open today. After two knee operations and more than a year of rehabilitation, it's important that I listen to my body and not rush back into competition," 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer said in a statement released by the French tennis federation.

Federer earlier said he will assess his further participation after a gruelling 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 7-6(4) 7-5 win over Germany's Dominik Koepfer on an empty Court Philippe Chatrier in Saturday's night match.

The 20-times Grand Slam champion was competing in only his sixth match in 17 months following knee surgery and suggested after the third-round clash which ended past midnight that he could preserve himself for Wimbledon which begins on June 28.

Because I need to decide if I keep on playing or not or is it not too much risk at this moment to keep pushing or is this just a perfect way to just take a rest.

Roger Federer, 20-times Grand Slam champion 

Asked how much he would want to push himself through the whole tournament, the 39-year-old Swiss told reporters: "We go through these matches... we analyse them highly and look on what's next and we'll do the same tonight and tomorrow.

"Because I need to decide if I keep on playing or not or is it not too much risk at this moment to keep pushing or is this just a perfect way to just take a rest.

"Because I don't have the week in between here and Halle (June 14-20), like normal, to see what's best now if you count back from Wimbledon and so forth.

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"It's just a lot going on, but having a match like this, knowing I could have probably played a fifth set but not knowing how I will wake up tomorrow is interesting, to say the least. Yeah, it's definitely a different time right now for me."

Federer, who faces Matteo Berrettini for a place in the quarter-finals where he could potentially meet world number one Novak Djokovic, said he would have liked to know he is at his best like Djokovic or holder Rafa Nadal.

"... I would prefer to be in Rafa's or Novak's shoes right now where they're like, 'I'm feeling good. If I'm playing well, I'm winning'," Federer said.

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"I don't have that feeling right now, so for me these are all stepping stones... to something that is really important to me. It's the season and it's the comeback. I need matches like these, you know."