Roger Federer might not have been able to travel to the Tokyo Olympics due to injury, but he has scored an ace for charity after raising $4.7 million (£3.4 million) in a two-phased auction.
“I am overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm of the support from around the world,” Federer said in a statement.
The 39-year-old donated a sizable collection of personal items for auction at Christie’s to raise money for his Roger Federer Foundation. A live auction in London on 23 June, with lots focusing on memorabilia from his 20 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open, raised nearly $1.8 million (£1.3 million).
The subsequent online auction, which took place from 23 June to 14 July, featured 300 lots from a variety of tournaments spanning his entire career – from the gear he used as a 19-year-old in his first Olympic appearance at the 2000 Games in Sydney, to the famous RF cardigan he wore before the 2012 Wimbledon final.
The combined proceeds from both phases of the action – which far exceeded the Swiss’ £1-million ($1.3 million) goal – will go to the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports educational projects in southern Africa and his native Switzerland.
“We started collecting items which accompanied me on court because we thought that perhaps one day we could do something meaningful with them,” Federer said. “[We are] humbled to see that the decision we made will make a profound difference to so many children.”
“I am overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm of the support from around the world,” Federer said in a statement.
The 39-year-old donated a sizable collection of personal items for auction at Christie’s to raise money for his Roger Federer Foundation. A live auction in London on 23 June, with lots focusing on memorabilia from his 20 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open, raised nearly $1.8 million (£1.3 million).
The subsequent online auction, which took place from 23 June to 14 July, featured 300 lots from a variety of tournaments spanning his entire career – from the gear he used as a 19-year-old in his first Olympic appearance at the 2000 Games in Sydney, to the famous RF cardigan he wore before the 2012 Wimbledon final.
The combined proceeds from both phases of the action – which far exceeded the Swiss’ £1-million ($1.3 million) goal – will go to the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports educational projects in southern Africa and his native Switzerland.
“We started collecting items which accompanied me on court because we thought that perhaps one day we could do something meaningful with them,” Federer said. “[We are] humbled to see that the decision we made will make a profound difference to so many children.”