Roger will start the 2009 season by bringing in the New Year in Abu Dhabi where he plays the new Capitala World Tennis Championship.

The event, which is being held at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex at Zayed Sports City from Jan 1-3, will have a “winner takes all” prize of $250,000. Roger will be joined by Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick and James Blake.

Roger, who will clearly aim at reclaiming his position as the world’s leading player next year, said: “I am really looking forward to playing in Abu Dhabi. The player field is very strong and the location is beautiful. It is always exciting to play in new facilities and I am sure Abu Dhabi will be up there with the best of them. We all hope that this event will return year after year and set the standard for tennis lovers in the region.”