Federer reduces clay-court prep tournaments for French Open

Roger Federer will play only two clay-court tournaments before the 2009 French Open. 

Federer will head to Paris on May 24, after playing at the Masters Series events in Rome and Madrid.

"I am really pleased with the season the way we have planned it and I am looking forward to an exciting year," Federer said.

Federer played at four events before the French Open in the 2008 season: Estoril, Portugal; Monte Carlo; Rome; and Hamburg, Germany.

Federer's agent, Tony Godsick, told The Associated Press in October that the Swiss star would play a 2009 schedule "that works for him physically."

"He is not going to overplay next year," Godsick said. "He is just going to try to make sure that he peaks for the tournaments that mean the most to him."