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Tennis giant Federer turns down Saudi invitation amid Khashoggi murder mystery

Wednesday, 31 October 2018 9:07 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 31 October 2018 11:05 AM ]

Switzerland's Roger Federer attends a training session in Paris, October 30, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

Roger Federer refuses to live up to the terms of a contract to play an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is swamped with controversy over the murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The deal was signed last year for the Swiss tennis great to be part of a showpiece also involving Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

“They contacted me, too,” Federer said in Paris on Tuesday, adding, “I prefer not to play. I’m happy practicing. I’m happy doing other things, and I didn’t want to play there at that time,” the ESPN sports channel reported on its website.

He revealed that it had not taken him long to go against the contract though his participation would have earned him a seven-digit reward.

“So, for me, it was a very quick decision,” Federer noted.

Both Nadal and Djokovic have also said they would reconsider partaking in the event, which has been scheduled to undergo in King Abdullah Sports City in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on December 22.

The international community, meanwhile, continues to demand answers from Riyadh over the murder of the outspoken critic of Saudi policies, Jamal Khashoggi.

Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but never exited the building.