Roger Federer withdraws from inaugural ATP Cup
The inaugural edition of the ATP Cup will take place between January 3-12, 2020, in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, gathering 24 countries and almost all the relevant players from the top-100. The first 19 countries that earned the place at the ATP Cup based on the ranking on the leading singles player have been drawn in six groups, with five more countries to join the action on November 13, completing the line-up that should bring the very best from the men's tennis, with almost every player from the top-30 ready to fight for the crown, US$15M of prize money and up to 750 ATP points.
World no. 3 Roger Federer should have led Switzerland but that will have to wait for some other year, with the 20-time Grand Slam champion withdrawing from the competition and taking some extra time off ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season in Melbourne. With Stan Wawrinka also being ruled out, Switzerland has lost the place in the competition, with Henri Laaksonen as the third-best singles player ranked outside the top-100. This opens the spot for another country to join the prestigious event. Switzerland should have played in Group C in Sydney against Belgium, Great Britain and another country.
"It is with great regret that I am withdrawing from the inaugural ATP Cup event," said Federer. "When I entered the event last month, it was a really difficult decision because it meant less time at home with the family and a fully intense start to the season. After much discussion with both my family and my team about the year ahead, I have decided that the extra two weeks at home will be beneficial for both my family and my tennis. It pains me to not be a part of the most exciting new event on the calendar, but this is the right thing to do if I want to continue to play for a longer period of time on the ATP Tour. I am sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment my withdrawal may cause for the fans, but I hope you can understand why I made it. For my Australian fans, I look forward to seeing you all at the Australian Open, fresh and ready to go."
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley added: "Roger is indisputably a legend of our sport and we have been blessed that he has managed to stay at the top of the game for so long. We understand this has been a really difficult decision for him. He has always done an extraordinary job being a great dad while managing his career. Although we know the fans in Sydney would love to have seen him compete in the ATP Cup, we totally respect his decision and look forward to seeing him at the Australian Open."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2PswlAO
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