NEW DELHI: The demonetisation drive started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month has taken toll on sports as well as International Premier Tennis League, which was already struggling to get star power this year, suffered yet another blow as neither Swiss icon and tennis legend Roger Federer nor legendary Serena Williams will be part of the league this season, due to prevailing "economic climate" in India.
International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) founder Mahesh Bhuapthi confirmed the absence of the two star players.
“We are sad to announce that Roger Federer and Serena Williams won't participate at this year's IPTL. We have had challenges this year, and we were hoping to get past them. With the current economic climate in India and the uncertainty of spending money, I reached out to both Roger and Serena to explain the situation. They have been both been very supportive of the IPTL the first two seasons and we look forward to bring them in future years,” Bhupathi said in a press release.
