World number two and Swiss legend Roger Federer will make his first appearance in Singapore in December, the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) announced in a press release on Friday.
Federer, who is also the winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, is set to represent the UAE Royals at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in the 2015 IPTL, from December 18 to 20. The Swiss confirmed his attendance at the three-day tennis event on Friday, setting up a likely Wimbledon and US Open final rematch with world number one Novak Djokovic at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Headlining for the Singapore Slammers in this year’s edition is Djokovic, who recently cemented his position as one of the greatest players of all time with his 10th Grand Slam victory, beating Federer at US Open 2015.
The three-day league in Singapore will also feature the defending champions Indian Aces, Philippine Mavericks and newest addition to the season, the Japan Warriors.
The 17-time grand slam champion said that he is excited to play in Singapore as it will be the first time that Federer plays a match in the said Asian nation. Federer first visited Singapore when he was invited by one of the world’s leading financial services company, Credit Suisse, in 2013. The 34-year old has been a global ambassador of Credit Suisse for six years now.
“I love playing in countries where I have never played before,” Federer said. “That is something that is always special to me, I know Singapore has embraced tennis in the past few years so going there to play is very exciting.”
The 34-year old added, “It is going to be a very special experience for me. I don’t often get to play in new countries and I hope that they are excited. I have been to Singapore before but not to play tennis and I have had a chance to interact with some fans. So, if that trip was any indication, I am very excited to be welcomed again and have a lot of fun with my fans.”
Federer added that the experience is going to be a memorable one because it will give him an opportunity to provide an enjoyable time to his fans. He will be joined by other tennis stars such as retired athlete Goran Ivanisevic, who is the current coach of Marin Cilic, men’s doubles specialist Daniel Nestor, and fellow ATP star Tomas Berdych, alongside WTA stars Ana Ivanovic and Kristina Mladenovic in the UAE Royals team.
The 2015 IPTL will run from December 2 to 20, with Singapore being the final stop. Federer led the Indian Aces in the inaugural IPTL event last year. He replaced Rafael Nadal, who had to pull out after the Spanish tennis star was sidelined in the latter part of 2014 season due to a string of injuries. This season, there has been a reshuffle in the original four teams, with an addition of a fifth one.
Below are the players featured in five IPTL teams:
Japan Warriors: Kei Nishikori, Maria Sharapova, Daniela Hantuchova, Marat Safin, Kurumi Nara, Lucas Pouille, and Vasek Pospisil.
Philippine Mavericks: Serena Williams, Jarmila Gajdosova, Mark Philippousis, Borna Coric, Richard Gasquet, Sabine Lisicki, and Treat Huey.
Indian Aces: Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils, Agnieszka Radwanska, Fabrice Santoro, Rohan Bopanna, Sania Mirza, and Ivan Dodig.
Singapore Slammers: Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, Marcelo Melo, Belinda Bencic, Karolina Pliskova, and Carlos Moya.
UAE Royals: Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych, Goran Ivanisevic, Ana Ivanovic, Daniel Nestor, and Kristina Mladenovic.