Roger Federer: “I regret not to have met Mandela.” Bill Gates is great for my foundation

Roger Federer is among the greatest tennis players of all time. The 38-year-old had achieved a lot of success on the court in his illustrious career. He is also among the most marketable athletes in the world. The Swiss has used his fame and success to give back to the community through the Roger Federer Foundation.

Federer’s South African roots

Federer’s foundation carries out projects in Switzerland and in several African countries. He also has projects in South Africa which is his mother’s country of origin. Roger’s mother, Lynette, was born in the country. His father, Robert, met her in 1970 when he traveled to the country in his twenties. The Swiss recently expressed his support for the country’s rugby team. The team won the rugby World Cup this week. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has in the past expressed his admiration for the country’s first president Nelson Mandela. In a 2011 survey done by the Reputation Institute, Federer ranked second to Mandela as the most trusted and respected individual in the world. He has spoken glowingly about the former South African president and has recognized his contributions towards democracy in the African nation. Among Federer’s regrets is that he did not get a chance to meet Mandela when he was alive.

Collaboration with Bill Gates

Even though he did not meet Mandela, the world No.3 has rubbed shoulders with some very influential individuals. The Swiss player has been working with Microsoft founder Bill Gates in the last few years. Federer and Bill have collaborated to raise funds for his philanthropic work in Africa. They have teamed up to play in exhibition matches dubbed Match for Africa with proceeds from the events going to Federer’s foundation. Bill also runs, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which carries out projects around the world. The 20-time Grand Slam winner says that working with the Microsoft founder has been great for his foundation.

The Swiss player will play in a charity exhibition match in Cape Town next year. The match will be against his longtime rival Rafael Nadal. The Match in Africa will take place in. Tickets for the charity exhibition match have already sold out. Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting children’s education on the continent. In the meantime, Federer is preparing to play at the ATP Finals in London. The venue for the tournament will be the O2 Arena and it will run from 10^th -18^th November

Roger Federer’s ranking and performance in 2019

Ranked no.3, Federer played his last match on the 27^th of October when he defeated Alex De Minaur 6-2 6-2 in the final in Basel to win his 103^rd career title.

This year Federer has a 49-8 win-loss record. Roger has won 4 titles in 2019 in Dubai, in Miami, in Halle and in Basel. Roger was the finalist in Indian Wells and in Wimbledon.