Lynette Federer: 'South Africans accompany Roger intensely in his career'



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Lynette Federer: 'South Africans accompany Roger intensely in his career'
Lynette Federer: 'South Africans accompany Roger intensely in his career' (Provided by Tennis World USA)

Last February, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played a fantastic charity exhibition in Cape Town, South Africa. The event was held in front of 51,954 people, setting a new absolute record for a tennis match. Thanks to the help of the Roger Federer Foundation and famous personalities such as Bill Gates and Trevor Noah, it was possible to collect 3.5 million dollars destined for the most needy.

Shortly after that exhibition, the Swiss Maestro decided to have surgery on his right knee to resolve an injury that had affected his performance. The 38-year-old from Basel only competed in the Australian Open in 2020, where he had reached the semi-final almost miraculously taking home battles with John Millman and Tennys Sandgren.

Recently, Roger’s mother Lynette Federer was in conversation with BLICK, and she shared how special the exhibition match was for her entire family and for Roger. “Naturally. I am extremely happy that it worked. It was a very special moment for the whole family.

Many relatives and friends also come. And I hope that the spark jumps to the audience,” she said. “The game in Cape Town was sold out within a few minutes. But we also get a lot of letters and reactions. You can feel that the South Africans are proud of Roger and accompany him intensely in his career.

It is also a major topic in the South African media,” Lynette continued. “That’s why it’s great that this “Match in Africa” came about. I know that it means a lot to Roger being an ambassador for a good cause”.

The Nadal vs. Federer "Match for Africa" in 2010 in Zurich and Madrid raised more than $4 million for the Roger Federer Foundation and Fundación Rafa Nadal. In January 2011, Federer took part in an exhibition, Rally for Relief, to raise money for the victims of the Queensland floods.

In 2014, the "Match for Africa 2" between Federer and Stan Wawrinka, again in Zurich, raised £850,000 for education projects in Southern Africa.

Roger Federer Rafael Nadal