Roger Federer will not be in the first edition of the ATP Cup, the new team tournament that will take place between January 3 and 12 in Australia.
The organizers announced on Twitter that Federer withdrew “for family reasons and, therefore, Switzerland has withdrawn as a country that had qualified in the first phase.”
“It is with great regret that I withdraw from the first ATP Cup,” Federer said in a statement posted on the tournament portal. “When I signed up last month, that was a difficult decision because it meant spending less time at home with the family and a full and intense start to the season.”
The ATP Cup, which will open the 2020 season, will start with six groups from four countries, playing in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney. Switzerland was in a group with Belgium, Great Britain and another nation yet to be determined.
After a six-day first group stage, eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds in Sydney.
The ATP Cup joins a crowded 2020 schedule, which includes two more events per team – the Davis Cup and the Laver Cup, of which Federer is a shareholder – and the Tokyo Olympics.
Federer indicated that having “those extra two weeks at home will be beneficial” for both his family and his career.
“It hurts me not to be part of the most exciting new event on the calendar, but this is the right thing to do if I want to play for a longer time on the circuit,” he said. AP