Ex-tennis pro Patrick McEnroe criticized Roger Federer for withdrawing from the French Open and treating it like a 'tune-up'

• Roger Federer withdrew from the French Open Sunday to rest his knee and prepare for Wimbledon.
• ESPN's Patrick McEnroe criticized the move, saying Federer was treating a major like a "tune-up."
• McEnroe said Federer's withdrawal gives an easier path to the French Open title for one player.

Roger Federer announced on Sunday that he was going to withdraw from the 2021 French Open.

The 39-year-old Swiss star was slated to face ninth-seeded Matteo Berrettini of Italy in the fourth round on Monday, but said his surgically repaired knee was not up for continuing.

"After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation it's important that I listen to my body and don't push myself too quickly on the road to recovery," Federer said in a statement.

Soon after Federer's announcement, ESPN analyst and former tennis pro Patrick McEnroe criticized the decision, saying Federer was treating the French Open as a warmup for Wimbledon later in June.

"I understand it, but I don't like it," McEnroe told Christopher Clarey of The New York Times.

McEnroe also took to Twitter on Sunday to further comment on the issue.

"This is a major, not a tune-up tournament," McEnroe said in a video.

Federer has been gearing up to make a run at another Wimbledon title. He has won the tournament a record eight times.

In recent years Federer has skipped clay season or played sparingly.

With Wimbledon beginning on June 28, it is a tight turn-around between majors.

McEnroe said Federer shouldn't have played if he knew he might not make it through the tournament.

"It's just not a great look to pull out of a tournament in the middle," McEnroe told Clarey.

"It's one thing if you sprain an ankle badly and finish a match on adrenaline. Those things happen. But it's another thing when you kind of go into a tournament knowing that you probably aren't going to be able to really finish the tournament. Roger can't expect that he's going to play the French Open and not have some physically demanding matches in the first three or four rounds. That's kind of inevitable."

Federer faced a tough road to a French Open title. Had he defeated Berrettini, he could have faced Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, if Djokovic defeated Italy's Lorenzo Musetti Monday. He then could have faced Rafael Nadal in the semifinals if Nadal also won his matches.

Berrettini will now have a longer rest between matches, with his quarterfinal against the winner of Djokovic and Musetti coming on Friday, June 11.

"It devalues the major, and it gives someone in the draw a walkover," McEnroe told Clarey. "It gives arguably an advantage to somebody else."

On Twitter, McEnroe added that Federer looked good in his three matches at Roland-Garros and will be one of the favorites at Wimbledon.

"He's a legit threat again to win Wimbledon. Djokovic will be the favorite - Federer, second or third."

With Federer turning 40 in August and his future on the tour unknown, McEnroe also said he hopes Federer will return to play the French Open next season in front of a full crowd.