Roger Federer has pulled out of the Madrid Masters this week as his wife is due to give birth to the couple’s third child.
“I’ve decided to withdraw from Madrid to be with my wife Mirka during these next few exciting weeks for our family,” he said on his official Facebook page.
“I apologise to my fans and hope to be back in Madrid next year. I’ll be training near my home, and am excited to rejoin the Tour soon!”
The 17-time grand slam champion’s announcement comes just two days after world No.2 Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the tournament in the Spanish capital due to a wrist injury.
Federer, a father of four-year-old twins, said recently he would skip any tournament including a grand slam to be present for the birth.
The French Open starts in just under three weeks but, with indications the latest addition to the family will have been born by then, Federer expects to play in Paris.
The Swiss, seeded fourth, was to have begun in the Madrid second round against Frenchman Gilles Simon.