Coronavirus Outbreak: Roger Federer and wife Mirka donate one million Swiss Francs to vulnerable families

Tennis great Roger Federer and his wife Mirka have donated 1 million Swiss Francs (approximately Rs 7.7 crore) to the most vulnerable families in Switzerland in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Federer, who is recovering from a knee surgery, took to Instagram to share an image with his wife alongside a caption which said that these are “challenging times” and “nobody should be left behind.” Calling their contribution as ‘just a start’, the 20-time Grand-Slam champion wrote, “We hope that others might join in supporting more families in need. Together we can overcome this crisis! Stay healthy!"

Federer’s message comes as the coronavirus pandemic has spread to 194 nations, infecting over 4 lakh people. The death toll from COVID-19 stands at over 19,000 globally. A few days back the tennis legend had taken to his Instagram stories section urging the public to take the coronavirus threat seriously and calling on the community to practice washing their hands and social distancing as much as possible. During his plea, Federer was heard saying, “I’m also staying home, and I haven’t been shaking anybody’s hands for quite some time now.”