Federer to decide during offseason on whether to play 2019 French Open

WATCH—Novak Djokovic outlasts Roger Federer in Paris:

Roger Federer will decide during the offseason whether he plans to play the French Open next season.

Federer competed in the French capital for the first time in three years when he played in the Paris Masters this week. He has also frequently not played the indoor event, which is the week following his hometown event in Basel.

In the semifinals, Djokovic beat Federer 7-6(6), 5-7, 7-6(3) in three hours.

"Novak is obviously on a roll. You can feel it. It came down to a few things here and there," said Federer, speaking to press following the semifinal. "But overall I'm happy with my game. It's better than in Basel. There I won the tournament and here I played in the semis and it needed somebody of Novak's calibre to beat me.”

The 37-year-old Federer won the 2009 French Open but hasn’t played the tournament in three years.

In 2016, he couldn't play because of injury, and has skipped playing the clay-court season since then, saying he needed to rest and protect his knee. The previous time he played was in 2015, when he was upset by his friend, Stan Wawrinka, in the quarters.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion got a huge reception from the French crowds in Paris, prompting questions about when he will next play there again.

“For the French Open, I will decide when the year finishes, to see the way it will have an impact on my physical training,” Federer said. "Bercy, as for next year, it's like every year, it's always difficult. I can't foresee too much in advance but I don't think it will be my last match here."

Federer and Djokovic could meet again at their next event at the ATP Tour Finals in London.