Roger Federer has spoken out about ticket prices for this year’s Italian Open doubling after he announced his participation, saying the decision was “disappointing”.
The Italian Tennis Federation decided to hike the prices after the 20-time Grand Slam champion revealed he would be competing at the Rome Masters, stating that they wanted to reward fans before Federer’s announcement.
Tickets originally cost €60 (£52/$67), which the federation then increased to €132.
According to the BBC, Federer said: “They made it in a way like they rewarded the fans who bought tickets earlier, which is sort of strange.
“I just really hope it doesn’t take away the fact I’m really happy to be here. There’s going to be good crowds hopefully, good atmosphere.”
The Italian Tennis Federation defended its decision, stating: “We have doubled the price of tickets for Wednesday, the day Federer will play. We want to reward fans who had bought tickets before they knew Federer would play.”
The 2019 edition of the Italian Open, which Federer has never won, will see the Swiss open against Frances Tiafoe or Joao Sousa.
Image: Carine06
Share this