Coronavirus: Roger Federer donates £860,000 to aid Switzerland’s fight against pandemic

Twenty-time Grand Slam champion is the latest high-profile sportsperson to help support families and medics

Roger Federer and his wife, Mirka, have donated one million Swiss Francs (£860,000) to aid vulnerable families during the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Switzerland is one of the worst affected nations, with over 10,000 confirmed cases of the disease, and the 20-time Grand Slam champion hopes high-profile sports stars will continue to follow suit.

Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi have each donated €1m (£914,000) to help clinics and medical centres in Barcelona, while Bayern Munich teammates Robert Lewandowski, Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka have all made significant contributions to support those in Germany. Cristiano Ronaldo and his agent, Jorge Mendes, have also donated around €1m worth of essential medical equipment to hospital wards in Portugal.

“These are challenging times for everyone and nobody should be left behind,” Federer wrote on Twitter.

“Mirka and I have personally decided to donate 1m Swiss francs for the most vulnerable families in Switzerland.

“Our contribution is just a start. We hope that others might join in supporting more families need. Together we can overcome this crisis! Stay healthy!”

Federer is currently recovering from knee surgery and was aiming to return ahead of the 2020 Wimbledon Championships. However, with the season currently suspended until 7 June, it’s now seen by many as inevitable that the tournament will have to be postponed.