DOHA (Qatar): Former world no.1 and 20 Grand Slam-winner Roger Federer will kick off his 2021 season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) announced on Tuesday.
The tournament will be held from March 8 to 13 here at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
The 2021 edition promises to be a star-studded event with two-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, a finalist at the 2008 event, and Dominic Thiem, the 2020 Australian Open finalist, among the stars confirmed for the tournament.
The Swiss maestro, who opted out of this year’s Australian Open, is a three-time former champion in Doha, triumphing in 2005, 2006 and 2011.
His last appearance was at the 2012 tournament where he withdrew ahead of his semifinal with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga due to a back injury.
Tariq Zainal, QTF Secretary-General, said, “We are delighted to have the great Roger Federer back in Doha for this year’s tournament. It is always a pleasure to have a player of Federer’s calibre at a prestigious tournament like this. Doha is home of great tennis, and it is not surprising that the tournament has continued to attract big names since it first started in 1993.”
“This year’s event promises to be greater than ever, and we look forward to welcoming all the players to this annual feast of tennis come March.”
The ATP 250 tournament was moved to March from its traditional January window this year due to Tennis Australia needing to delay its swing of events to accommodate local COVID-19 measures.
Karim Alami, Qatar ExxonMobil Open Tournament Director, said, “As Tournament Director, I am very happy to announce that Roger Federer has chosen our event, which will take place from March 8 till March 13, as his first stop in his return to competitive action.”
“It makes us proud to have Roger back in Doha, a tournament he honored with his presence and won multiple times in the past, and where he has a huge following; I am sure all his fans will be delighted to have once again the chance to experience his magic!”
