Roger Federer will play Swiss Indoors
Roger Federer last played at Indian Wells, losing to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Roger Federer, in an interview with Switzerland's Tages Anzeiger, confirmed that he will play his hometown tournament in Basel in the fall.
Federer initially omitted the Swiss Indoors from his schedule. There had been speculation that his decision to skip the event was due to disputes over appearance fees. Federer's appearance contract with the tournament expired last year. In trying to negotiate a new deal, Federer, who had received $500,000 to appear in the past, was reportedly asking for $1 million to $2 million.
All that has now been put to rest, as Federer has added Basel to his schedule, though no new contract has been negotiated. SPORT24 has the translation of some of Federer's comments in Swiss-German:
"I will play the Swiss Indoors," said the world 31-year-old who is in the middle of a training block in Switzerland as he spends his longest spell in the country for years."
"I've played in Basel over the years, whenever I was not hurt. Everyone knows how much this means to me tournament, and that is still true. I've been a ball boy, played in the qualies and even as a junior hit with Andre Agassi."
"I've experienced many memorable moments in this unique atmosphere with the great fans, and I am pleased extremely to be able to experience this year. I can play in Basel also no contracts or arrangements, if I feel like it, and I did."
...
Federer ducked the issue of whether his people have re-negotiated his longtime guarantee with Basel: "I really don't want to say anything further, because otherwise it just might be misinterpreted again. I never said that I will not play in Basel. And now I am trying to simplify this complicated matter."
