By Ros Satar
- Andy Murray joins the IPTL roster for the second time
- He and Stan Wawrinka join OUE Singapore Slammers
- World No. 1 Novak Djokovic withdraws from the Slammers
KOBE, JAPAN – As the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) kicks off its second edition, fans get two star players for the price of the World No. 1 as Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal brings World No. 2 Andy Murray and World No 4 Stan Wawrinka into the OUE Singapore Slammers side.
The pair of two-time Grand Slam winners will join team mates Nick Kyrgios, Belinda Bencic, Karolina Pliskova, Dustin Brown, Carlos Moya, and World No. 1 doubles player Marcelo Melo.
Murray made his debut in the inaugural edition, playing for the Manila Mavericks, now re-titled the Philippine Mavericks, while Wawrinka makes his debut. Last year Djokovic played for the UAE Royals and was drafted by the Slammers, before opting to withdraw after crowning his most successful career season with three Grand Slam titles, and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title for the fourth year in a row.
Talking to IPTLWorld.com, he said: “I had a great experience in the inaugural edition of the IPTL and was eagerly looking forward to playing in the second season, especially in front of the home crowd in Singapore. It’s been a long year for me and my body needs some extra time to recover. I wish the team the very best and will join them next year.”
The loss of Djokovic will not dent the starry roster which also includes women’s World No. 1 Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
IPTL Director and founder Mahesh Bhupathi said in IPTLWorld.com: “We are glad to announce the return of Andy Murray and the debut of Stan Wawrinka in the IPTL. Both Murray and Wawrinka will add immense strength to the Slammers, upping the quality of tennis on display. Fans across the world can look forward to some exciting match-ups.”
The IPTL was his brain-child and after the opening success in 2014, it continues its aim to bring together current champions, former tennis champions and new talent in a fun format – we give you the full run-down of the format here: .
The league was created to meet the increasing demand for top-level tennis in Asia, basing the league in key cities around the participating nations. Micromax Indian Aces won the first edition, and featured Federer in their make-up. Japan joined the line-up this year.
The second edition starts in Japan on 2 December, and the league concludes on 20 December.
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