The Swiss 20-time Grand Slam champion has not played a clay tournament since the 2016 Italian Open.
Federer, 37, was beaten by eventual champion Stan Wawrinka in his last appearance at the French Open in 2015.
“I’m in a phase where I want to have fun,” Federer said after his Australian Open exit to Stefanos Tsitsipas.It’s a bit of a desire. I don’t feel it is necessary to have a big break again.”
Federer has opted to miss the past two clay seasons since struggling with injury throughout 2016.
He withdrew from Roland Garros that year because of a back injury and ultimately cut short his season with a knee problem.
After winning titles in Australia and Miami on his return in 2017, Federer said he planned to only play the French Open as he was “not 24 any more”.
He ultimately decided not to compete in Paris and focused on grass-court events, going on to win that year’s Wimbledon.
Federer, seeded third in Melbourne, will drop to either sixth or seventh in the rankings following the Australian Open.
Federer was stunned by fiery Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas who ended his bid for a record seventh Australian Open Sunday on, a day of upsets that also saw second seed Angelique Kerber crash out.
The Swiss master caved in under the energy and pressure of a man 17 years his junior to tumble out 6-7 (11/13), 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) in the last 16 on Rod Laver Arena.
World No 2 Kerber was also sensationally bundled out by a woman playing the event for the first time, with American Danielle Collins humiliating the Wimbledon champion 6-0, 6-2 in under an hour.
The man Federer beat in last year’s final, sixth seed Marin Cilic, was also sent packing by Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, who now plays Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Shaparova and fifth seed Sloane Stephens were others to fall, but there was no such drama for a rampant Rafael Nadal who powered into the last eight with a straight sets win over Tomas Berdych.
Federer was gunning for a 21st Grand Slam title but had a battle on his hands from off against the 20-year-old, touted among the new generation of young stars as a future champion.
“I’m the happiest man on Earth right now, I cannot describe it,” said the 14th seed, who is the first Greek in history to reach the quarterfinals of a Slam.
“I’ve been idolising him (Federer) since the age of six. It was a dream come true for me just being on Rod Laver facing him. Winning at the end, I can’t describe it.”
The Swiss great denied the defeat signalled a changing of the guard.
“I’ve heard that story the last 10 years. From that standpoint, nothing new there,” he said. – AFP
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