Roger Federer visits Malawi for charity work, opens preschool

JOHANNESBURG -- It's a long way from Centre Court at Wimbledon for Roger Federer, who has opened a preschool in impoverished Malawi as part of his charity work.

The tennis star traveled to Malawi to see firsthand the impact of funds from his foundation, which contributes to education programs in half a dozen countries in southern Africa. Federer, who turns 34 next month, described his philanthropic outreach as gratifying in a different way from the exultation of lifting a Grand Slam trophy.

"It's like meeting a friend you haven't seen for 20 years," Federer said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday in an airport hotel in Johannesburg.

The Swiss player's mother is South African, and he retains a South African passport. His foundation has withdrawn from operations in Ethiopia and Tanzania to focus on southern Africa. It aims to help educate 1 million children by 2018, an ambitious goal that Federer, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, attributes partly to his drive as a tennis player.

"You can get very sentimental and sad" about extreme poverty in places such as Malawi, he said. But he remarked on the positive attitude of the children he met, even though they have limited opportunities.

Federer who lost on July 12 to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, said he plans to start training again soon ahead of the American summer season of tournaments leading to the US Open.

Reflecting on Wimbledon, he said: "After a tournament like that, you take away the good things, but then you also take away the things that maybe you could have done better, because you can always do better."

Federer, who has won 17 Grand Slam titles, including seven Wimbledon titles, said he was disappointed at the loss to Djokovic. But he also said the media and others sometimes had high expectations and failed to fully recognize that reaching the final of a Grand Slam tournament was a stellar achievement.

"I think sometimes you need to adjust the mind of the people because it's actually a great result, being able to play a final or a semis for that matter," Federer said. "Thankfully, in tennis, we have a lot of highlights during the year, which make it actually easier to digest a loss like that."

As for his charity work, Federer said he would pursue it "way past my playing days in the years to come."

Charity the best antidote for Federer's Wimbledon woes

"It's like meeting a friend you haven't seen for 20 years."

--Roger Federer, commenting to the Associated Press in Johannesburg, South Africa, following his return to southern Africa, where he resumed his philanthropic endeavors shortly after losing the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic.

The all-time Grand Slam singles champion, while articulate and sometimes even verbose, isn't famous for his poetic phrasing. After all, he is Swiss. But his choice of words suggests just how powerfully Roger Federer feels about the needs of those African children and the work he underwrites with the aim of providing at least a million children with a decent education by 2018.

It's usually like that when any person of conscience visits a place of dire poverty or hardship. Confronted with the reality of how harsh life can be for the less fortunate is like a slap in the face, but to see how gamely so many bear up -- Federer remarked upon the "positive" attitude of the children -- is inspirational. It puts things into an entirely new perspective.

A new perspective may be just the thing a person like Federer needs after staring into the black hole of Novak Djokovic's forehand cannon time after time on the pretty green lawn of Wimbledon.

"I think sometimes you need to adjust the mind of the people because it's actually a great result, being able to play a final or a semis for that matter," Federer said in Johannesburg.

We know what Federer is doing for children in English-speaking African nations (including Malawi, Namibia and Botswana). His eponymous foundation is helping them experience a "better quality of education," as he told the AP.

But let's not forget what this project does for Federer, which is a less obvious and unpublicized mission. It certainly isn't why he does his charity work, but it's a pleasant and useful byproduct.

Most of the places Federer might have flocked to after Wimbledon would have been filled and populated with reminders that he had just blown a chance to add an 18th major title to his résumé.

Federer failed to consolidate a first-set break in the final and lost a first-set tiebreaker, and the rest was history -- a tale of woe that would be reflected in the eyes most everyone he would encounter in the normal course of things in aftermath of Wimbledon.

But there, in those one-room South African schoolhouses where the exteriors were so gaily painted in primary colors, the only thing Federer would read in the large, liquid eyes of the children would be wonder. Not one of them had any real idea who he was, but they were curious. And happy. And they knew he was a friend, as well as a novelty. He might have just dropped in from Jupiter.

It didn't matter whether Federer won an 18th major or even played tennis at all. That's a luxury no amount of money can buy.

Unlike some celebrities who purchase their self-esteem and the public's approval by throwing money at charitable causes (no complaint: the money certainly helps, no matter where it comes from), Federer seems engaged with his charity. It couldn't have been a good feeling to get on a plane headed for South Africa right after he lost that Wimbledon final.

But once in the country for a few days, Federer seemed more grounded. Exposure to poverty is a wake-up call to the soul, even for the innately dispassionate. Federer seemed almost out of his emotional depth when he said, "You can get very sentimental and sad."

True enough. But you can also get out of your own head and come away with a fresh perspective and a new sense of mission. It can make you want to further help impoverished children. Just as they helped Federer.

Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson named the three most marketable athletes in the world

Federer and Woods are no longer at the top of their sports, but that hasn't yet swayed sponsorship interest (Source: Getty)

No one sells like a golden oldie when it comes to sports, according to a new power ranking of the world's most marketable athletes.

Read more: Ronaldo named Europe's "most marketable" footballer

Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are all nearing the twilight of their careers, but have been named as the three most marketable athletes in the world, in a new power ranking put together by the London School of Marketing (LSM).

According to the school's research, companies spend around £500m on the top 100 best paid sports stars in the world, representing 25 per cent of their total income.

Only two women appear in the top 20, something LSM put down to the fact companies use sports to advertise to the traditionally hard to reach 16-30 male demographic.

Read more: Ronaldo beats Messi with $22.5m endorsements

Jacques de Cock, faculty member at London School Marketing, commented:

Despite having passed their peak physically, Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are kings. He may not have won Wimbledon this year, but it's Federer's personal characteristics which sponsors find so attractive.

Sports stars can boost a brand’s equity. The values attributed to sportsmen (honesty, hard work, dedication, skill, etc.) can be of significant value to brands that are not naturally associated with this, for instance, banking, insurance and utilities. 

 

Also some brands enhance their glamour factor, this is especially the case for Rolex and its association with tennis with Federer.

See the full list below:

1. Roger Federer

2. Tiger Woods

3. Phil Mickelson

4. LeBron James

5. Kevin Durant

6. Rory McIlroy

7. Novak Djokovic

8. Rafael Nadal

9. Mahendra Singh Dhoni

10. Cristiano Ronaldo

11. Kobe Bryant

12. Maria Sharapova

13. Lionel Messi

14. Usain Bolt

15. Neymar

16. Andy Murray

17. Kei Nishikori

18. Derrick Rose

19. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

20. Serena Williams

Roger Federer is world's most marketable sports star despite Wimbledon loss

Roger Federer has emerged as the most marketable sports star in the world, as tennis heroes dominate the latest power list prepared by the London School of Marketing (LSM).

Despite his loss in the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic, Federer is considered one of the most influential persons in the world. The Swiss player, who has 17 Grand Slam singles titles to his credit, missed his chance to grab his eighth Wimbledon title.

"He may not have won Wimbledon this year, but it's Federer's personal characteristics which sponsors find so attractive," said Jacques de Cock, faculty member at the London School of Marketing.

Tennis stars feature prominently throughout the rest of the top 20 list, which weighs sports stars based on their influence when it comes to attracting sponsors and advertising.

Novak Djokovic ranks seventh on the list, followed by Rafael Nadal. Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams – the only two women to make it into the top 20 – claim the twelfth and twentieth spots, respectively.

While compiling the list, LSM researchers looked at the brand value of the individuals along with their current income from sponsorship and the percentage of their total earnings it accounted for as well as their social media presence.

Golfer Rory McIlroy and Andy Murray are the only UK nationals on the list, having secured the sixth and sixteenth ranks, respectively.

Soccer sensation David Beckham has been excluded from the list in 2015, as he has officially retired.

According to LSM research, companies spend around £500m (€715.9m, $778m) on the top 100 best paid athletes in the world and this represents 25% of their combined total income.

"Sport is the obvious way to do this due to the 'hero' status of many sportsmen," de Cock said.

"Sports stars are also brilliant vessels for increasing brand awareness purely down to the sheer volume of people who watch sport."

The full power list is given below.

1. Roger Federer – Tennis

2. Tiger Woods – Golf

3. Phil Mickelson – Golf

4. LeBron James – Basketball

5. Kevin Durant – Basketball

6. Rory McIlroy – Golf

7. Novak Djokovic – Tennis

8. Rafael Nadal – Tennis

9. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Cricket

10. Cristiano Ronaldo – Football

11. Kobe Bryant – Basketball

12. Maria Sharapova – Tennis

13. Lionel Messi – Football

14. Usain Bolt – Track

15. Neymar – Football

16. Andy Murray – Tennis

17. Kei Nishikori – Tennis

18. Derrick Rose – Basketball

19. Floyd Mayweather – Boxing

20. Serena Williams - Tennis

Roger Federer breaks Pete Sampras’s record

Roger Federer, the holder of a record 17 grand slam titles, has reached another landmark celebrating an unprecedented 287th week as world No 1 in the ATP world rankings.

The Swiss ace returned to top spot for the first time since the 2010 French Open after winning Wimbledon last week and, as of today, he now boasts 287 weeks in the position, moving one clear of Pete Sampras’ previous-best mark.
The 30 year-old Federer, whose success at Wimbledon was his 17th grand slam title and saw him move level with Sampras and William Renshaw as record seven-time winners at the All England club, said: “It is really an amazing feeling for me to have regained the number one ranking on the ATP World Tour.
“I had set a goal with my team to try and get back to the top of the rankings, but I never thought with the depth in the game this year that I would have been able to get it back so quickly.
“I am extremely proud and honoured to have beaten Pete’s record as he was my childhood hero and I have always looked up to him.”
Sampras said of the achievement: “Great effort. The hardest thing to do in sports is the ability to stay on top. Roger has been able to do so by great play and durability.”

How is Roger Federer getting worse U.S. Open odds than Andy Murray?

Apparently bookmakers didn’t watch a little-known tennis tournament that goes by the name of Wimbledon. How else to explain Andy Murray getting 50% better odds to win (4/1) as Roger Federer (6/1), the man who absolutely destroyed him in a straight-set victory on the grass at the All England Club?

Perhaps even more egregious is that Federer’s 6/1 is just slightly ahead of a guy who’s currently ranked behind Milos Raonic. Yeah, Rafael Nadal, the guy whose game had faded faster in 2015 than the popularity of Ariana Grande is getting 7/1 at Bovada, barely behind Federer.

(Getty Images)

From a purely tennis standpoint, maybe Murray is the second-best choice to win the U.S. Open, I don’t know. After all, Federer hasn’t made a final in New York since blowing his lead to Juan Martin Del Potro in 2009. But in the five years since, Federer had made it further than Murray twice, Murray has made it further than Federer twice and they went out in the same round once. Murray does have the lone title, but Federer has five from back in the day and also made the semis last year when Murray made the quarters.

And none of this mentions that Federer will almost certainly be the No. 2 seed in New York, which means he wouldn’t have to face Djokovic, the odds on favorite at 5/4, until a potential final. Murray, on the other hand, has a 50% chance of being put in Djokovic’s half, which could mean semifinal bout. That right there should automatically give the edge to Federer.

(AP)

But here we are, the basking glow of Wimbledon still upon us, and we’re talking about an event that’s six weeks down the line. At least the oddsmakers have it right on the women’s side though: Serena Williams is the overwhelming favorite to win her calendar Slam and fifth major overall.

(EPA)

‘Roger Federer is greatest of all times’, says former no 1 and Djokovic's coach Boris Becker

It is a well established fact that former tennis No. 1 Boris Becker is a firm member of Team Djokovic. The coach of the current world no. 1 has been a regular at Novak Djokovic's matches and cheering from the sidelines. If the German's Facebook posts are anything to go by, he is completely devoted to his ward and Djokovic himself credits his coach for his success in the last year or so.

Boris Becker at Djokovic's match at Wimbledon. Getty Images

On Sunday at the Wimbledon finals as well, we saw Becker in the stands cheering on Djokovic as he beat Roger Federer in the men's final. Djokovic celebrated his third title and the champion went on to say that his trophy was as much Becker's as his, dedicating his victory to the coach.

Which is why it comes as a great surprise when Becker took to Facebook to proclaim that Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of our time. "Great respect for Roger Federer! He is our GOAT( greatest of all time ). He has changed tennis forever and will continue to do so...," he wrote.

What makes this unusual post even more intriguing is the fact that Federer and Becker are not known to be on the best terms. In the not so distant past, Becker had said some not-so-flattering things about Federer in his book, saying that 'it is an “open secret” in the tennis world that Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic dislike one another.

Becker wrote, "The reason Roger is one of the highest-paid athletes of all time is because he's liked by everybody. But think about this - you can't possibly be liked by everybody... He makes good money out of his image, but would he make less if we saw a bit more of his true feelings?"

Federer had retorted saying that Becker was once his idol and he did not appreciate such comments from him. "He should know me well enough to know that I'm a relaxed guy. It's always dangerous when you are talking a lot. Sometimes you say things you should not...It is well know that I initially had problems with Novak's manner on court but now he behaves wonderfully and fairly. I have no problem with Novak... Of course I don't like what he said - after all he was once my idol."

While Becker went on to clarify on Twitter that he was misinterpreted, the whole episode did leave a rather bad taste. This was aggravated by the fact that Federer and Djokovic are fierce rivals on field.

While we do not know what prompted this praise by Becker or what it means for the Federer-Djokovic relationship, it does show that Becker seems to be moving beyond his previous opinions on Federer and is willing to acknowledge the same.

Roger Federer's formula for final? Renting TWO houses to avoid being disturbed by his young family

Roger Federer has gone to extraordinary lengths to get a good night's sleep before today's Wimbledon final – renting TWO houses to avoid being woken by his young family.

He is living in one with his tennis team, while the other is for wife Mirka and their two sets of twins – 14-month-olds Leo and Lenny, and Myla Rose and Charlene Riva, almost six.

Each home is worth £4 million, and renting both for the fortnight will have cost Federer around £30,000.

A source said: 'Roger had to be sure of getting a good night's sleep, but he still wanted his family with him so the simplest solution was to rent two houses. Judging by the way he has performed this year, it's working perfectly.'

The world number two will look to become the first man to win an historic eighth Wimbledon title when he plays the reigning champion Novak Djokovic in today's final.

The super Swiss blew Andy Murray away in Friday's semi-final with a breathtaking display on Centre Court, winning 7-5, 7-5, 6-4.  

Federer, 33, currently shares the record of seven wins with American Pete Sampras and victory would make him the oldest Wimbledon winner in the Open Era.

World number one Djokovic, 28, beat Federer in the 2014 final for his second title at SW19 in what was a memorable five-set classic. 

The Serbian trails 20-19 in their head-to-head record since 2006, but has the better of the Swiss this year having beaten him twice already.

Speaking ahead of the final, Federer, who last won a grand slam in 2012 (when he beat Murray at Wimbledon), said: 'I'm just happy to be back in a final. I'm very pleased how well I'm playing. But I need to keep it up for one more match to really make it the perfect couple of weeks.' 

Federer's wife Mirka, herself a former professional tennis player, with their elder twins Myla Rose and Charlene Riva, almost six 

The seven-time Wimbledon champion defeated Britain's Andy Murray with a superb display on Friday

Federer, 33, is three years older than Arthur Ashe was when he won Wimbledon in 1975 and the oldest man in a final since Ken Rosewall, who was 39 when he lost to Jimmy Connors in 1974

Federer Ready For Simon Battle; Murray To Face Pospisil

ATPWorldTour.com previews the quarter-final matches in the bottom half of the Wimbledon draw featuring Roger Federer, Gilles Simon, Andy Murray and Vasek Pospisil

[2] Roger Federer (SUI) vs. [12] Gilles Simon (FRA)

FedEx ATP Head2Head: Federer leads 5-2

It will be the eighth meeting between Roger Federer and Gilles Simon, their first on grass. Both of their previous Grand Slam meetings have gone the distance, and both were won by the Swiss. 

“We have never played on grass,” said Simon. “Facing him, this I know. But I think he's playing really good right now. I will just go there and try to play how I'm playing from the beginning of the tournament and from the beginning of the grass-court season.”

“I'm not going to look further than Gilles Simon, who has caused me difficulties in the past,” said Federer. “I played him tough in some of the majors – Australian Open, French Open – we played five sets both times there.”

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Federer is bidding to reach the final four at the All England Club for the 10th time, his 37th Grand Slam semi-final overall. He has won 11 of the past 12 matches against French players at the Grand Slam level. His only defeat in that time came against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Roland Garros in 2013.

The 33-year-old Swiss is looking to become the first man in history to win eight Wimbledon titles. Last year, Federer reached his ninth Wimbledon final, but lost to Novak Djokovic in five sets.

World No. 13 Simon is looking to reach the semi-finals at a major for the first time.

“I often have some close matches with Roger,” said Simon. “Still he destroyed me once, so I'm ready that it can be sometimes difficult to face him.”

Federer and Simon will take to No. 1 Court for their quarter-final clash at 1:00pm on Wednesday. 

[3] Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 

FedEx ATP Head2Head: Murray leads 3-0    

The Wimbledon quarter-finals on Wednesday will mark the fourth meeting between Andy Murray and Vasek Pospisil, their first clash on grass. The 25-year-old Canadian has yet to win a set off the World No. 3.

“I played him three times on the hard courts,” said Murray. “I've never played him on grass. He's had a good run here, won the doubles [title] here last year. [He] can play well on the surface. He's also played a lot of tennis here, which is a positive for him in some ways, but also maybe he's a little bit fatigued. So if that is the case, and I won't bank on that being the case, but if that is the case, I'll try to use that to my advantage.”

A champion here in 2013, Murray is bidding to record his 150th Grand Slam match win to reach his 17th major semi-final, his sixth semi-final at the All England Club. If he beats Pospisil, he will move into joint-11th place with Bjorn Borg on the list of most Grand Slam semi-finals reached in the Open Era.

“It's going to be obviously a tough one,” said Pospisil.  “He’s had great results here over the years… But I think I'm serving well, I'm playing well, and I will have a good day of rest [Tuesday]. I know I will have my hands full and I have to go out there and play to the best of my abilities. That’s what I plan on doing.”

The 28-year-old Dunblane native is bidding to become the first British man to win multiple Wimbledon titles since Fred Perry, who won the crown at the All England Club from 1934-36. Murray will have the Centre Court crowd behind him, but the Canadian is not unfamiliar with Wimbledon's prestigious stadium.

“I had one Centre Court experience, and it was a great one,” said Pospisil, who won the doubles crown last year with American Jack Sock. “I'm looking forward to going out there again… [I] realise that it's going to be a tough feat to accomplish, to beat Andy here [at] Wimbledon, his home court.”

Pospisil recorded three five-sets wins en route to the last eight, his best result at a major. He bids to become the third Canadian to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam, joining Robert Powell (1908 Wimbledon) and Milos Raonic (2014 Wimbledon).

Murray and Pospisil will face off Wednesday at 1:00pm on Centre Court.

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Live Now: Federer Vs. Simon

Live updates of Roger Federer vs. Gilles Simon

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has taken a two-set lead - 6-3, 7-5 - over Gilles Simonfor a place in his 10th semi-final at The Championships.

The Swiss leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 5-2 and has won their past five meetings. Federer won his 17th and most recent Grand Slam championship at the All England Club three years ago, beating Andy Murray in the final.

World No. 13 Simon is bidding to reach his first Grand Slam semi-final at the age of 30.

Set 1 - Federer, 6-3

On No. 1 Court for the first time at the 2015 Championships, Federer raced out to a 3-0 start, before the match was interrupted by a heavy rain shower. Play resumed 37 minutes later, but there was little Simon could do to halt Federer’s progress. With actor Bradley Cooper seated beside Federer’s wife, Mirka, the Basel native claimed the first set in just under 30 minutes, having hit 15 winners and lost only seven points on serve.

Set 2 - Federer 7-5

Federer looked to have made a decisive move in the second set with a service break in the seventh game. But, with Federer serving for the set at 5-4, Simon raised his level to engineer a break back to love. It ended a run of 116 successive service holds for Federer, dating back to his first-round match with Philipp Kohlschreiber at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.

But Simon’s fightback was shortlived. Federer immediately recouped the advantage with a break in the 11th game and had won the first point of the 12th game when another heavy rain shower forced the players off court. Play restarted less than an hour later and Federer was ruthless, hitting three service winners to claim the second set.