The Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) has confirmed that Swiss sensation and winner of 20 Grand Slams, Roger Federer, will headline this year's Qatar ExxonMobil Open, which will be held from March 8-13 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.
The Swiss maestro, who will be starting his 2021 season in Qatar after opting out of this year's Australian Open, is a three-time former champion in Doha, triumphing in 2005, 2006 and 2011. He beat Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic, France’s Gael Monfils and Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets in the three finals respectively.
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," he added.
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 for the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2021, 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.
"I would like to welcome Roger back to action after a year away from competition, and I am certain he will provide many more unforgettable moments to all Qatar ExxonMobil Open guests and audience, and to all the tennis world. Finally, I would also like to thank our title sponsor ExxonMobil and all our exclusive sponsors, to the Qatar Tennis Federation, and to all relevant government entities for their continuous support during these difficult times and for making sure the Qatar ExxonMobil Open tradition keeps going on," he added.
The 2021 Qatar ExxonMobil Open 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, with other names to be announced soon.
The Qatar Tennis Federation is preparing for WTA Qatar Total Open 2021, which will be held days before the ATP men’s tournament. QTF will release the list of the players competing in the Qatar Total Open in the coming days, with a promise of splendid list headed by number one Ashleigh Barty.