STUTTGART, June 17, 2018

Without any doubt, Roger Federer is the main attraction of the MercedesCup, which made the switch from clay to grass in 2015, opening the extended grass-court swing alongside the ATP event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The first edition of the tournament in Stuttgart was held in 1898, with Mercedes-Benz assuming the role of title sponsor in 1979.

If the Swiss maestro will return to the Tennis Club Weissenhof next year, however, is uncertain at the moment.

“We do not have a contract with Roger for 2019,” tournament director Edwin Weindorfer stated on Saturday morning during the final news conference but looked confident that the new World No. 1 will make a fourth appearance at ATP 250 event.

“Roger seems to feel comfortable here in Stuttgart. Apart from Basel, this is the only tournament where he can arrive with his own car. He appreciates the familiar atmosphere at the venue, spends a lot of time with his team on the terrace of the Club House.”

About 60,000 spectators attended the tournament during the last nine days in Stuttgart. “We had an illustrious line-up this year,” Weindorfer was pleased with the week and called Saturday’s semi-finals clash between Federer and Nick Kyrgios as “epic” with the tournament’s climax yet to come.