Some tennis fans were willing to pay up to £15,000 to watch Roger Federer’s last match. Following the US Open, Federer announced his plans to retire after the Laver Cup. Seven days later, Federer’s career came to an end at the Laver Cup in London.
In the last match of his career, Federer teamed up with Rafael Nadal in a doubles match. The £15,000 is more than double the price of a ticket to this year’s World Cup final in Qatar. But Vision4Sport director Chris Newbold has an explanation as to why Federer’s input was so prized.
“You can pay to go see Federer and you know you’re going to see Federer. While you can pay to see Argentina in the World Cup and Messi may be injured, he may not have played the whole game, you are paying to see the team, not the individual.
It’s a difficult comparison to make, but I think Federer captures everyone’s imagination more than any other sportsman we’ve seen in the modern era. Laver Cup fans were willing to pay up to £15,000 for an exhibition match knowing it was going to be Federer’s last hurray,” Vision4Sport director Chris Newbold was quoted as saying by Tennis Majors.
When tennis fans paid for a ticket to the Laver Cup, they knew they would see Federer. When it comes to the World Cup final, there are no guarantees that there will be Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. “We’ve seen uncertainty around the host country, uncertainty around the cost of living at home and what you’re going to be able to do when you’re there, which has caused a drastic drop in demand.
It’s almost like the stock market, when people book tickets so late. Immediately after the semifinals, between 24 and 36 hours, the price of the final will reach 6,000 euros.”
Federer ended to his illustrious career
Roger Federer recently spoke about his remaining tennis goals during a fan event in Tokyo.
“I want to go and play in places I’ve never been and thank the fans who have supported me throughout my career, that’s all I want. My intention is also to organize exhibitions but it is still too early, unfortunately,” said the Swiss Legend.
“My knee is not yet in perfect condition and I have to be patient. The doctors have advised me to be cautious and to wait a few months to see how the situation develops. and this goes not only for tennis but also for other sports that I would like to play, but I have to take it easy,” he added.
