The golden ticket to watch Federer play his last match
By Manuel Sánchez Gómez
London, Sep 23 (EFE).- Prices to watch tennis legend Roger Federer play for the last time at the Laver Cup Friday are ranging from 25,000 to 50,000 euros after the Swiss player announced his retirement last week.
The Laver Cup in London is an exhibition tournament, although it is now supported by the ATP Sports Federation and victories and defeats count towards rankings.
The tournament, organized by Federer’s agency TEAM8, plays a key role in the industry, pitting the best players from Europe against those from the rest of the world.
It is also an opportunity to see unique matches, such as Federer and Spain’s Rafael Nadal or Serbia’s Novak Djokovic as partners on the court.
Excitement over this year’s cup reached fever pitch when news the Big Four — Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Britain’s Andy Murray — would come together for the first time in history.
But the last-minute announcement that it will also be the Swiss player’s last tournament has added to the frenzy, sending ticket prices rocketing.
Until a few months ago, the most expensive ticket cost £375 (430 euros) but today, a ticket to see Federer play Friday could cost up to 50,000 euros.
To support the Laver Cup, a tournament now in its fifth year, Federer has the backing of Tennis Australia, the United States Tennis Association and Brazilian banker Jorge Paulo Lemann.
Several brands have also joined Federer’s initiative which, since its 2017 inauguration in Prague, has been hosted in Chicago, Prague, Boston and after London will move to Vancouver in 2023 and Berlin in 2024.
The main sponsors of the event are Rolex, Credit Suisse and Mercedes Benz, brands that are also associated with Federer and from which the tennis player earns several million euros a year.
Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo, which has paid Federer some 300 million euros over ten years in sponsorship deals, will also be present at the 02 arena.
Meanwhile in the fan zone of the tournament, racket brand Head, courier UPS and the Swiss tourist office and Nadal’s Academy will be present. EFE
msh/mp/ch
