Federer said that Rolex is one of his sponsors that does not dictate his playing schedule.GETTY IMAGES
Roger Federer said that his sponsors "don't have any control" over his tennis tournament schedule each season, according to Luigi Gatto of TENNIS WORLD. Federer: "They politely ask, 'Are you playing? Okay, you're not playing, we understand. It's a big pity for us, but we understand.' They understand the big picture." Federer said that Rolex is "at the very front of those" discussions. Federer: "They are so into sports, so they know what it means. Especially to [Rolex Communication & Image Dir] Arnaud Boetsch, who I have a very close relationship to. So he understands." Federer has a stable of 12 sponsors, many of which are "associated with the tennis world." Rolex is the title sponsor of ATP events in Monte Carlo, Shanghai and Paris but in recent years, Federer has "just played in Shanghai." Federer said, "It's good to have those partners that don't force me to do anything" (TENNIS WORLD, 9/22).
TEAM GAME: In Washington, DC, Liz Clarke reported even in its infancy, the Federer-backed Laver Cup has "deep-pocketed investors" including sponsors Rolex, Mercedes-Benz and Moet & Chandon, and "powerful partners" such as the USTA and Tennis Australia. The event also has "attracted star headliners as teammates." The event has "demonstrated anew that a team-sports twist can inject new life into a sport with a reverence for tradition that, at times, conspires against it." Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said, "Tennis is short on team events. More and more you see millennials, and that younger generation, like to get behind stars. They like to get behind teams. And the players themselves like to participate in teams." Men's tennis is now "awash in team events -- with three new or recast tournaments eyed for a five-month span" from Sept. '19-Jan. '20. Outwardly, "each has its supporters," but privately, "many doubt that all three are sustainable." Federer's agent and business partner, Tony Godsick, said, "There is chaos right now in tennis. But chaos leads to opportunity. I do believe that saner minds will come together and exercise their will, and there will probably be some changes to the calendar at some point" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/24).
