SA has the world’s biggest gold deposits, the most rhinos, the loudest vuvuzelas and now the world’s biggest tennis match — thanks to Roger Federer and friends at Cape Town Stadium.
The record 51,954-strong crowd at Friday’s charity match helped SA claim another lofty title: world champions of feelgood.
Few would not have felt a rainbow arcing their soul to hear Federer speaking Afrikaans, or Trevor Noah outfoxing Bill Gates at the net — and that was before Federer pulled on a personalised Springbok rugby jersey handed to him by World Cup hero Siya Kolisi (who in return received a commemorative 20 Swiss franc coin minted with Federer’s face).
Then there was Federer’s mother, Lynette, looking tearful at the courtside as she talked about coming home. And Federer at the final media conference saying: “I am so proud I have my roots here in SA.”
For those gripped by one of sport’s greatest rivalries, there was also Rafael Nadal’s big reveal that in 2009 he wept tears of joy when Roger finally won the French Open title — for years the one slam missing from his trophy cabinet. The whole stadium sighed.
At many levels, the long-awaited Match in Africa was yet further proof that, despite all SA’s challenges, the country punches well above its weight when it comes to unadulterated jol. All the more remarkable was that the standout moments were not fancy fireworks or Boeing flyovers but heartfelt words and gestures, such as Kolisi wrapping Federer in a hug. You’d swear Federer had just scored the winning try.
Amount raised by Friday's Match in Africa. It was the largest amount raised by a Roger Federer Foundation match
— R52.15 million
Combines Grand Slam titles won by Federer and Rafael Nadal
— 39
And in a sense he did. The match lived up to its billing as a thinly veiled homecoming not only for Federer and his parents — who met in Johannesburg before moving to dad Robert’s native Switzerland — but for Noah too, who has done more for Brand South Africa with his US comedy show than three centuries of biltong and braaivleis.
Federer said the match took about two years to organise, starting as a normal charity affair but quickly gathering a momentum of its own. When organisers mooted the idea they discussed how to drum up interest, worried too few people would come. But last September the tickets sold out in 10 minutes, and by 5pm on Friday it was clear a new record was on the cards — Federer set the previous mark of 42,217 last year in Mexico City — as fans flocked into the stadium, many waving Spanish or Swiss flags and dressed in tennis attire.
The crowd cheered both players, but the loudest cheers were for Noah and Kolisi, with possibly the biggest cheer all but drowning out Noah’s final moving speech about the significance of the occasion.
“It is a reminder of the magic we can achieve,” Noah said. “To be in South Africa, my home, is truly an experience I don’t think I can truly comprehend right now.”
When Noah teamed up with Nadal for a comical doubles match against Federer and Gates, he berated the umpire for being too laid-back — “I want to feel more professional” — and insisted that his and Federer’s shared South African heritage meant he was “in Federer’s head”. He joked that 19-time Grand Slam champion Nadal seemed like a youngster with good tennis potential.
During the follow-up singles match, Federer and Nadal allowed a ballboy and ballgirl to take their racquets for an impromptu rally. After Federer hit the match-winning shot the two embraced warmly, both later declaring the match an unforgettable experience.
“I really felt overwhelmed with emotions out there,” Federer said afterwards. “It was a unique moment in my life for sure.”
The blossoming friendship between the two legends, who at one stage on Friday couldn’t stop giggling while trying to read a children’s story to bemused pre-schoolers, also helped set the tone for the occasion, much like it has captured the imagination of the tennis world.
The once desperate rivalry has mellowed into a fraternal love affair that, at least to some armchair analysts, might explain why they are idolised the world over: they embody a lust for life that goes way beyond tennis. It was a sentiment neatly summed up by former Springbok rugby captain Jean de Villiers on the sidelines of the match: “These two are great examples for all people out there. It is great to be South African tonight.”
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