Roger Federer, Bill Gates, Savannah Guthrie, Jack Sock Raise $2.5 Million For #MatchForAfrica5 in Silicon Valley
By Brendan Weber, Riya Bhattacharjee and Jennifer Gonzalez ••
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer joined American tennis star Jack Sock, business mogul Bill Gates and NBC’s “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie in San Jose Monday for an exhibition tennis event supporting children’s education in Africa. Terry McSweeney reports.
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer joined American tennis star Jack Sock, business mogul Bill Gates and NBC's "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie in San Jose Monday for an exhibition tennis event supporting children's education in Africa.
Net proceeds from the Match for Africa 5 Silicon Valley will benefit the Roger Federer Charitable Fund — an organization with the mission to give children in poverty access to high-quality early learning and education.
Federer and Gates were crowned two-time Match for Africa champs, but the best part, the match raised $2.5 million to help kids in Africa who are being supported by Federer's foundation.
Jennifer Gonzalez
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
[L-R] Jack Sock, Savannah Guthrie, Al Rocker, Bill Gates and Roger Federer came together at the SAP Center for Match for Africa - an event supporting children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
[L-R] Bill Gates and Roger Federer prepare for a tennis match against Savannah Guthrie and Jack sock for an event supporting children's education in Africa. (March. 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
[L-R] Savannah Guthrie and Jack Sock prepare for a tennis match against Bill Gates and Roger Federer for an event supporting children's education in Africa. (March. 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Savannah Guthrie plays a doubles tennis match alongside Jack Sock against Bill Gates and Roger Federer to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Roger Federer's Nike shoes on the tennis court during Match for Africa - an event supporting children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Bill Gates high fives Roger Federer after winning a tennis round during the Match for Africa event at the SAP Center in San Jose. (March. 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Savannah Guthrie plays a doubles tennis match alongside Jack Sock against Bill Gates and Roger Federer to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Bill Gates plays a doubles tennis match alongside Roger Federer against Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Roger Federer plays a doubles tennis match alongside Bill Gates against Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Bill Gates plays a doubles tennis match alongside Roger Federer against Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Bill Gates plays a doubles tennis match alongside Roger Federer against Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Roger Federer plays a doubles tennis match alongside Bill Gates against Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Savannah Guthrie plays a doubles tennis match alongside Jack Sock against Bill Gates and Roger Federer to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Bill Gates plays a doubles tennis match alongside Roger Federer against Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Savannah Guthrie plays a doubles tennis match alongside Jack Sock against Bill Gates and Roger Federer to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Roger Federer plays a doubles tennis match alongside Bill Gates against Jack Sock and Savannah Guthrie to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Jack Sock plays a doubles tennis match alongside Savannah Guthrie against Bill Gates and Roger Federer to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Jack Sock prepares for a one-on-one tennis match against the No.1 ranked tennis player, Roger Federer, to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Jack Sock serves the ball during a one-on-one tennis match against Roger Federer to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Roger Federer focuses on the ball during a one-on-one tennis match against Jack Sock to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Roger Federer serves the ball during a one-on-one tennis match against Jack Sock to support children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez/ NBC Bay Area
Roger Federer claps at the end of the tennis match after learning the event raised over $2.5 million toward supporting children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
Roger Federer hits a signed tennis ball to fans in the stadium after the match. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez
Roger Federer waves at the crowd after having a successful event to raise money for children's education in Africa. (March 5, 2018)
Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area
After the tennis match, Roger Federer explained that his goal for 2018 is to provide 1 million young kids with education. (March 5, 2018)
“Roger might have a few more Grand Slam titles than I do, but we share a belief that all children deserve a world-class education," Gates said. "His Match for Africa events are a fun way to help make that happen.”
This is the fifth charity tennis event for the Roger Federer Foundation.
"I believe in the power of people. We know that a good education is a decisive factor to empower children by allowing them to take their future into their own hands," Federer said in a statement. "We want to provide one million children with the opportunity for a quality education by the end of 2018. The Match for Africa 5 in San Jose will help us reach our ambitious goals. I am very grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with Bill Gates, who in my opinion is the world’s leading philanthropist."
Though the big match of the night featured Federer and Sock, Federer teamed up with Gates for a one-set doubles match against Sock and Guthrie.
Guthrie admitted Monday that she has "no athletic skills whatsoever" and is even a bit "uncoordinated" at times, but she said she has been putting in the work over the past several months to gear up for her moment under the lights.
"It's all relative, but I am playing the best I have ever played in my whole life," she said.
As for what she is most nervous about, Guthrie pointed to her serve.
"I'm nervous because it's hard to perform in front of all of these people and to do something athletic," she said.
Regardless of the result, Guthrie is more than happy to support such a "great cause."
"I think that's first and foremost," she said. "This is for the Federer Foundation which does this great work for kids in Africa."
