Get ready for at least three more years of Roger Federer.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Federer will be on tour through at least the 2019 season. That much became clear when the 35-year-old Swiss announced on Tuesday that he has signed a new three-year contract to play the Swiss Indoors Basel.
“I cannot wait to return to my home country in the autumn,” Federer commented. “Playing in Basel is always a highlight of the year.”
It has certainly been an annual highlight for the Basel fans. Federer has treated them to eight titles since he made his tournament debut back in 1998, emerging victorious in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015. He is 61-9 lifetime in Basel and 47-3 in his last 50 matches.
Of course, it won’t be the highlight of 2017 for Federer. After all, the current world No. 9 already has a Grand Slam title under his belt after triumphing at the Australian Open. Playing in his first tournament since Wimbledon having recovered from a knee injury, Federer won three five-set matches on the way to his 18th major title–including over Rafael Nadal in the final.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGjXagbQ6tU
Probably the tournament organizers have become richer and can pay him more money.
tennis.com, April 29, 2013 ¤¤ Basel tournament director: Federer refused our offer.
…Brennwald told the Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger. “We have launched campaigns in the millions for him [Federer] and allowed him to promote his sponsors, which is not very common. We are grateful for the time we were allowed to have with him. The thing is very simple: We have made an offer to him, which he refused. We have submitted a second offer, which he has not responded to. We do not normally pay a seven-figure [appearance fee].”
Brennwald also complained that he is unable to speak with Federer directly and always has to go through his agent Tony Godsick.” ¤¤
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/04/basel-tournament-director-federer-refused-our-offer/47250/#.UscbZdIW0zT
Probably not actually.
Federer and tournament director Roger Brennwald were publicly at odds going into the tournament in 2013, with Federer said to be asking for an appearance fee of $1.5 million to $2 million. It was refused as being too high, and the tournament eventually signed up Rafael Nadal instead. There was further tension when the tournament director appeared to disparage Federer at a press conference, saying the player would not take his calls.
Federer, saying the issue was not financial, played the tournament anyway, with no appearance fee.
It was the same in 2014, with Federer returning to win the tournament for the first time since 2011.
However, discussions between another official and Federer’s agent, Tony Godsick, led to the two sides resolving the conflict towards the beginning of the season, officially securing Federer’s participation.
“It kept me very occupied, but now tension is gone, and I can concentrate on the tournament again,” Federer said at his press conference before the tournament.
The amount of the new appearance fee is said to be a little more than $500,000, less than Federer tends to command at other 500 and 250 events, and will be donated to Federer’s foundation to further education efforts for children in Africa.”
http://www.tennisnews.com/2015/10/29/roger-federer-confirms-agreement-with-basel/
The article: “Federer, saying the issue was not financial, played the tournament anyway, with no appearance fee.”
.
Hahahahaaa! Fed said he would play with no appearance fee AFTER the tournament organizers had signed a contract with Rafa.
Yes he did.
He also dropped his appearance fees from a reported six figures to less than half that for future years.
So, to my point, the organizers probably didn’t have to become richer as claimed.
After the organizers had signed a contract with Rafa in 2013, Fed got so scared that he continued to play with no contract even next year – in 2014. Hahahahahaaa!
http://www.tennisworldusa.org/news/news/Roger_Federer/20885/roger-federer-without-swiss-indoors-contract/1/
LOL!
Wheelchair tennis anyone?
I know Rafa’s almost 5 years younger than Fed but I have this persistent image of them entering the Hall of Fame together.
Fed may be around to play Basel but I doubt by 2019 he will play a full schedule.
I do feel that should Rafa or Djoko want to stick around, they can also do the same. When they are past 31, they can pick and choose what they want to play as they have fulfilled the other two conditions.
Rafa can play on clay and clay alone, so I think if he desires he too can play till he’s 35 or 36, esp with the advancement in medical science. Given his popularity he would still be commanding good appearance fees, endorsements etc.
I think the three can stick around for a long long time if they wish, as they’re so popular that people would want to pay good money to watch them play when their appearances get rarer.
luckystar (AT 6:13 PM),
At the age of 31/32 (2013), Fed planned to skip only one Masters – Miami. He withdrew from Montreal because of his back problems, not because of ‘smart scheduling’.
Fedfans have always called Fed’s withdrawals due his injuries ‘smart scheduling’. 😆
Not true.
He planned to skip Monte Carlo – a non-mandatory Masters.
Smart scheduling as usual.
Besides, withdrawing due to injuries when they could have continued to play risking further injury IS smart scheduling. They are not mutually exclusive. Rafa and Fed both opted to do so at the end of 2016.
Federer has hardly ever been injured other than 2013 and 2016 so not sure about ‘always’.
Hawkeye,
Thanks for clarifying things regarding Fed. I do think he has done well with his scheduling over the years to maximize his longevity in this sport.
I especially appreciate you pointing out the wisdom of withdrawing from a tournament so as not to risk aggravating an injury. Both Fed and Rafa made the right decision in pulling the plug on 2016.
Federer has targeted skipping tournaments such as Miami, Canada and Shanghai each more than once in his career so as not to overplay. But injuries for him are exceedingly rare due primarily to his playing style but also scheduling.
NOBODY needs to fulfill conditions (luckystar is talking about, AT 6:13 PM) to skip Monte Carlo Masters!
NOBODY said they did Augusta.
Fedfans aren’t unique. Sometimes you make me laugh too Augusta!
Fed worshipers have always made me laugh.
luckystar (AT 6:13 PM),
To add to my post AT 8:05 PM:
in 2013, Fed played 4 ATP-500 (Rotterdam. Dubai, Hamburg, Basel) and 2 ATP-250 tournaments (Halle, Gstaad). So, he did not play fewer tournaments than normal for a commitment player.
Not true. He only played 62 matches in 2013.
Also it’s not necessarily quantity but context. For example, he played Gstaad because of early Wimbledon matches and wanted to play on clay to recover his game that year.
It is no secret that he developed a back problem in 2013 so not a great year to use as an example.
The point is: in 2013, Fed scheduled only one fewer tournament (Miami Masters) than it’s normal for a commitment player.
Beside the point. Schedules at the beginning of the year are fluid to be adjusted throughout the year.
And again 2013 is a bad example as he spent much of that year with a bad back.
Otherwise, he likely would have made other adjustments in scheduling for reasons other than his injury which caused him to pull out of Montreal. However he kept losing early because of that so it wasn’t necessary.
However, I do enjoy discussing tennis with you Augusta. Thanks for that!
“That has been the rare downbeat note in his particularly upbeat month as he has celebrated his first major singles title in nearly five years.
“This one definitely has had maybe the longest effect of any of the Grand Slam wins in my career,” he said. “I’m so happy because I didn’t have to play in the following weeks. It’s really allowed me to reflect and enjoy. In the past in 2003, when I won Wimbledon for the first time, I was in Gstaad the next day practicing and stuff. It’s very different this time. I’m still riding the wave, still feeling like I’m on cloud nine.”
He gained some more altitude last week during his vacation in Switzerland, taking a day trip high into the mountains near his holiday home in Lenzerheide with his replica copy of the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, the trophy awarded to the Australian Open men’s singles champion.
“I call it Norman,” he said of the trophy. “I’ve had dinner with Norman, spent a lot of time with Norman. I know it’s just a replica, but that’s all right.”
In 2003, when the Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli won the America’s Cup sailing competition for Switzerland (while using a crew full of hired New Zealanders in New Zealand), Bertarelli vowed to celebrate by taking the America’s Cup to the top of the Matterhorn.
“That’s where I got my idea to take Norman into the mountains,” Federer said. “I don’t know if Ernesto ever did it, but I thought it was such a cool idea. To come from a faraway place like New Zealand or Australia and bring the trophy all the way back to the most important part of your homeland.”
“We tried a few different things up there, with the racket and a ball and Norman,” Federer said, laughing. “I just thought it was super fun. I know it was super cheesy, but the fans just love it.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/21/sports/tennis/roger-federer-retirement-laver-cup.html?smid=tw-share
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77pbmWf52-0
Yay!…It’s good to hear that Rog still wants to play 3 more years…I,for one not ready to see him hanging his racquet yet…There’s still so much excitement and fun he can give us..maybe half a dozen Fedal,FedNol,FedAnd rivalries?Who knows…C’MON ROG!!!!
Please AndyMira i love you to bits, but please no Rafa / Roger comparisons, its bad enough when the commies do it, then you get his own flippin Uncle telling us hes not as talented as Federer or Djokovic, now his own fans do the same, its no wonder the guy suffers with confidence issues, when everybody gives him an inferiority complex ….
Ali….I love u too but what did i say??Did i make a comparison between Rog and Rafa in my comment up there?If so…i’m so sorry…what i meant up there was that,the longer Rog put off his retirement then maybe we’re going to be blessed with more Roger/Rafa classics,Roger/Nole or Roger/Andy…I love all of their rivalries…not just Fedal rivalries…
AM But didnt you say the other day that you did agree with Toni that you thought Federer and Djokovic were more talented than Rafa ? ….
Ali….Oh,u mean on TX?Yeah,honestly…IMO, in terms on tennis raw talent…my list is like this…1]Roger 2]Novak 3]Rafa 4]Andy…And surely,we have a right to have an opinion,is it not?
AM of course your entitled to your opinion ….
Thanks Ali…it’s just an opinion that’s all…so,we’re cool?
AM of course we are cool, it was me that was worried about offending you to be honest, sometimes my big fat mouth just runs away with me 😉
Ali…we’ve known each other for so long..and i love u like i love my own sis…i could never mad at u for long…more often than not,i just considered a sisters banter’s…no harm whatsoever…so,don’t worry okay?
AM 😉
Ali…https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/543786303540559872/YR_hjUH1.jpeg