Roger Federer has been confirmed as Rafael Nadal’s replacement for the Indian Aces in the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) that begins on November 28.
Federer joins Pete Sampras, Gael Monfils, Ana Ivanovic, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna and Fabrice Santoro in the franchise owned by Micromax. Indian Aces has identified South Africa Davis Cup captain John-Laffnie de Jager as its coach-manager.
Nadal had cited health reasons to pull out of the IPTL before the launch of the Aces. “Nadal has been hurt since Wimbledon. So obviously there was a risk there. In the format we have, neither party wanted to take a chance. When you are talking of a profile as high as Nadal’s, there was probably only one name that could have helped ease the pain and for us, fortunately, Federer was available,” said 12-time Grand Slam doubles champion and tournament founder Mahesh Bhupathi.
India, here I come! Looking forward to playing two matches in Delhi on December 7th & 8th. I’m beyond excited!
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) >September 22, 2014
While Federer initially seemed apprehensive about the league, Bhupathi claimed the uncertainty in the Swiss’ personal life had stopped him from confirming his participation. “When I was talking to the players a year and a half ago, Federer was expecting (the arrival of) his set of twins. I don’t think he could have made too many commitments at that point,” said the 40-year-old Indian.
In its first season, the IPTL will be held from November 28-December 13 in Manila, Singapore, Delhi and Dubai. The Indian Aces, UAE Royals, Manila Mavericks and Singapore Slammers will fight for a total prize money of USD one million.
The IPTL’s Delhi leg will be played at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here from December 6 to 8. The stadium’s capacity of 15,000 was a major factor behind its selection. Earlier, the Indian franchise had identified Mumbai as its home.
Financial viability has obviously guided many of the decisions taken by the IPTL and Bhupathi believed that, depending on the markets, franchises should break even in two to three years. The doubles specialist hoped that the “NBA-style entertainment” would attract new audiences to tennis.
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