Roger Federer targeted by New York Open organisers for 2019 appearance ahead of inaugural event

Roger Federer is a realistic target for the New York Open as the tournament prepares for the inaugural staging of the event in 2018.

Moved from Memphis which ran from 1975 to 2017, the ATP 250 event joins the US Open as the only other major tennis event in the Big Apple.

The 6,300-seater Nassau Coliseum - which is assured to be a sell-out for each of the eight days of the event which starts on 11 February - means an improved cartel of player could be attracted to appear.

Grand slam runners-up Sam Querrey, Kevin Anderson and Kei Nishikori are all scheduled to play while the doubles draw will be graced by the 16-time major winners the Bob and Mike Bryan.

Furthermore, tournament ambassador John McEnroe will play an exhibition match on the opening day, while US Open champion Sloane Stephens will play Canada's Genie Bouchard.

"We now can competitively go to a Roger Federer — he may never want to play based on schedule, his calendar, and his schedule — but you can at least go to a Roger Federer and say, 'Listen, we can pay you, because we actually have the opportunity to be able to sell enough seats," said chief Josh Ripple, according to Sports Illustrated.

"So from a pure business standpoint, being at NYCB Live and being here in New York provides us the ability to attract those players. We're not attracting Roger Federer in 2018. But you know in 2019 or 2020, we can go out and be competitive and we can make an offer for a player like that. We could never do that in Memphis."

Instead of playing in New York, Federer will appear at the Rotterdam Open where he is bidding to return to world number one for the first time since 2012.

A semi-final finish or better will see the 36-year-old replace Rafael Nadal at the top of the men's game and see the Swiss eclipse Andre Agassi as the oldest man to reach the summit of the ATP rankings.