KEY POINTS

  • Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have donated for the fight against the coronavirus
  • The coronavirus continues to affect thousands of lives all around
  • Novak Djokovic has followed with a donation to help the people in this difficult time

Roger Federer’s image has given him the distinction as one of the people that fans, players, coaches alike look up to. While he’s not dominating on the court, he has done incredible service of charity beyond the center stage. Federer recently donated $1.02 million to the vulnerable families of Switzerland during the difficult time of the coronavirus global pandemic.

The Swiss star shared that this act would hopefully spark his fellow influential figures to follow in his footsteps. “ Our contribution is just a start. We hope that others might join in supporting more families in need. Together we can overcome this crisis! Stay healthy!”

Fellow tennis great Rafael Nadal also pulled through with his resources to raise funds to combat the virus. Along with former NBA All-Star Pau Gasol, the Spaniard duo launched the #NuestraMejorVictoria (Our Best Victory) campaign in order to attain its goal of 11 million Euros.

Per the ATP website, Nadal is rallying his fellow sportsmen to give back to the community who have given them so much support.

We athletes are what we are largely thanks to your support. Now is the time that we cannot let you down,” he said.

He added that it’s such a difficult situation as Spain is one of the countries greatly affected by the virus. “We are going through a time that would have been unexplainable and unimaginable a few months ago,” Nadal shared. “We’re suffering the impact of this pandemic which has changed all of our lives, particularly those people who are suffering firsthand and their relatives.

World number one Novak Djokovic took the challenge and followed with his own donation. The Serbian tennis star donated one million Euros to buy ventilation and medical equipment for the fight against COVID-19.

“The fight is not easy, but I am convinced that we will manage to make it out of this stronger than before,” the 17-time Grand Slam champion shared. “It’s important to remain united in this fight, to help each other, so we can defeat this virus faster and easier.”

Australian Open defending champion Novak Djokovic has said smoke delays cannot be ruled out
Australian Open defending champion Novak Djokovic has said smoke delays cannot be ruled out AFP / Patrick HAMILTON