STUTTGART, June 18, 2017
The organizers of the 39th edition of the Mercedes Cup met the media for the traditional final news conference ahead of the final matches on Sunday morning.
“More than 60,000 spectators attended the event this year,” tournament director Edwin Weindorfer was happy to announce. “We increased our capacity on centre court with 400 additional seats up to 6,000 places and from Wednesday on it was sold out.”
The ATP 250 event moved to grass courts in 2015, staged in the week after the French Open finishes.
“Last time I was here was in 2008 when the tournament was still held on clay and so many positive changes has happened since then,” ATP supervisor Tom Barnes was pleased with the week. “The courts, the facilities and the whole way the tournament is structured almost feels like a new place. My congratulations to Edwin. It is really good.
“I am also getting very spoiled by riding around those Mercedes cars. I don’t have one at home,” the US-American added with a smile.
The contract with the local Tennis Club Weissenhof has been extended to 2024 and the Austrian organizers are confident that Roger Federer will return in 2018.
“Our two years contract ends this year but negotiations with Roger will start in Wimbledon in two weeks. As he hasn’t won the tournament yet, there is a good chance that he will come to Stuttgart again. He was disappointed not to reach the final here,” Weindorfer explained.
If Germany’s top-ranked player Alexander Zverev joins the Swiss maestro next year, will remain uncertain. The World No. 10, who actually wanted to start his grass court season in Halle, lost in the opening round at Roland Garros and took a wild card into this week’s ATP 250 event in s’Hertogenbosch.
“My relationship with Alexander is very good. He is always invited to play here and we would love to see him competing in Stuttgart next year,” Weindorfer stated but did not want to say anything more about the case. It has grown apparent that the organizers were not amused to see Zverev playing the parallel event in the Netherlands.
The 2018 edition will be held from 11 to 18 June.
