IPTL: Roger Federer Entertains Crowd And Challenges Gael Monfils To A Dance-Off

Roger Federer has entertained the Indian crowd when he made his debut in the International Premier Tennis League, or IPTL on Dec. 7. Federer, who is playing for the Indian Aces, celebrated his victory in style by unleashing his dance moves and challenging Frenchman and Aces' teammate Gael Monfils to a dance-off.

Federer played for three sets including the men's singles, men's doubles with Rohan Bopanna, and mixed singles with Sania Mirza against the Singapore Slammers. Federer defeated Tomas Berdych, 6-4, in men's singles. He and Bopanna beat Aussies Lleyton Hewitt and Nick Kyrgios, 6-1, in the men's doubles set. In the mixed doubles set, Federer and Mirza had a 6-0 win over Bruno Soares and Daniela Hantuchova.

Federer decided to dance to celebrate the Aces' wins. He even challenged Monfils to a dance-off. The Aces trashed the Slammers with a final score of 26-16.

It wouldn't be the first time that Federer had showcased his dance moves. In 2012, Federer danced to Gangnam Style during his Gillette tour in Sao Paolo, Brazil. He also did the moonwalk dance.

Federer's participation in the IPTL was announced in September. He had agreed to replace Rafael Nadal in the tournament. Tennis fans weren't sure if Federer would really show up until the Indian leg. The 17-time Grand Slam champion wasn't in attendance during the Aces' matches in Manila and Singapore, which were the first stops of the tournament.

In a news article by the Hindustan Times, Federer said that he was already certain about the number of days he would play for the tournament when he made his commitment. "I agreed to play here quite recently, but I was clear about how many days I would be able to give to it," Federer said. "Training is important and spending time with my family, and after talking to Mahesh (IPTL organiser), these few days fit perfectly."

The inaugural team tennis event just completed the third leg, which was held in New Delhi, India from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8. IPTL's next and final stop will be in Dubai from Dec. 11 to Dec. 13.

Video source: YouTube/TENNIS ROGER