Indian tennis fans have accused the IPTL of being deceitful following the announcement of Roger Federer’s withdrawal from the event.
Federer absence was confirmed shortly after that of Serena Williams. Both players had been instrumental marketing figures for the IPTL ahead of the tournament, but will no longer attend due to the financial problems facing the event. Williams was set to play in the Singapore leg and Federer in the final leg in India.
“We have had challenges this year and we are hoping to get past them. With the current economic climate in India and uncertainty of spending money, I reached out to both Roger (Federer) and Serena (Williams) to explain the situation. They have been very supportive of the IPTL the first two seasons and we look forward to bring them in future years,” IPTL founder Bhupathi said in a statement.
Federer was expected to play his first public tennis match since the Wimbledon championships. The Swiss player ended his season early due to problems with his knee. He will return to the tour in Australia next month.
The financial problems plaguing the team exhibition event has been caused by the fragile economic climate in India. In November the Indian government announced the abolishment of the ₹500 and ₹1,000 note in a fight against counterfeit money. The action meant that 86% of the country’s cash in circulation were no longer valid. This has caused financial turmoil in the country as 90% of their transactions are done via cash.
Regardless of the economic problems striking the IPTL, some fans have demanded a refund for their ticket. One Indian fan has reportedly contacted the Mumbai police department with allegations of fraud against the event, but Ubitennis can’t independently confirm this.
@iptl we spent money in this “current economic climate” It is minimum decency to allow cancellation and refund tickets. @Maheshbhupathi
— Aditi (@adi_singh18) 6 December 2016
@iptl we want a refund then!! Its only after Roger’s participation info we booked tickets! You cant eat up our hard earned money like this.😡
— Sampada Moghe (@SampadaMoghe) 6 December 2016
@iptl @Maheshbhupathi This is unfair & complete injustice to fans. It seems like you have used #Federer name to sell tickets at high prices!
— jagscasm! (@iamGJH) 6 December 2016
@iptl @Maheshbhupathi pic.twitter.com/NRKZZcqXpm
— Yashwanth (@gyashu24) 6 December 2016
This week the IPTL will get underway in Singapore before moving to India, where the final will be held.
