Amid Controversial $650,000,000,000 Move That’s Gripping Tennis, Roger Federer’s Bold Rebuttal Stands Tall as He Rejected Saudi’s Multi-Million Dollar Tempting Offer in 2018

The fact that Roger Federer is still such a hugely talked about personality in the world of tennis even after a year of retirement is a testament to his charisma and massive impact on the sport. Currently, there’s perhaps no bigger discussion in the sporting world than the growing involvement of Saudi Arabia in high-profile sporting events and activities – and tennis is no exception.

It was only recently that the PGA Tour announced a joint venture with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). This PIF is worth $650 billion today. As per reports, this makes it the seventh-largest sovereign fund in the world. After making massive investments in sports like Golf, Soccer, Formula 1, and Boxing, Saudi Arabia’s latest venture for a partnership with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), is the new talk of the town. And amid all the talks surrounding this controversial move, Roger Federer’s name has again managed to find the spotlight.

Roger Federer turned down a $2 million-worth deal to play in Saudi Arabia

Even though Saudi Arabia’s intrusion into tennis is creating controversies today, they have been trying to make inroads into the sport for some years now. The Saudi government decided to invite some of the biggest stars of tennis, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, to participate in an exhibition match in Jeddah in December 2018.

However, as reported by ESPN, the Swiss Maestro turned down this invitation, which would have helped him earn close to $2 million for just a day’s appearance in the country. But Roger said, “I didn’t want to play there at that time… So, for me, it was a very quick decision.”

This came in the wake of prominent Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s assassination in October 2018, which resulted in the Saudi government facing a huge backlash from the international community.

With the hullabaloo regarding Saudi’s partnership with ATP taking center stage today, it is in this very context that Roger Federer’s refusal to play in the country despite such a huge offer comes into sharp focus. However, many top tennis stars from the current generation do not feel the same way.

Current ATP stars like Nick Kyrgios and Carlos Alcaraz welcome the Saudi move

In recent years, players like Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Nick Kyrgios have willfully taken part in the 2019 and 2022 editions of the Diriyah Tennis Cup that is held in Saudi Arabia. The current world number 1, Carlos Alcaraz has also expressed that he will have no problems playing tournaments in Saudi Arabia and even claimed that he would be a frequent visitor to the country to be a part of events and matches.

READ MORE: ‘They’re Getting Like $1 Million’- Blunt Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic Fact Revealed as Saudi Take Over of Tennis Seems Inevitable

Nick Kyrgios took to Twitter to show immense support for the potential Saudi-ATP partnership, claiming that players like him will finally ‘get paid what they deserve’. Quite unsurprisingly, Kyrgios had to face a lot of flak for his stand, given the controversial nature of the move.

In the end, it was clear that Roger Federer still remains the only top ATP star to have actively removed himself from any possible association with Saudi Arabia, as he chose to stick to his ideals.

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