Rodger Federer will play Rafael Nadal on February 7, 2020, in Cape Town South Africa for the benefit of children in the region.
The Cape Town Stadium, which has a capacity of more than 50 000 spectators, will also host a celebrity/pro doubles match between Federer and founder of Mircosoft Corporation Bill Gates, versus Nadal and South African comedian Trevor Noah.
Federer told ATP that this is a dream come true. “I will play in my mother’s home country against my toughest rival and friend Rafa Nadal. We share not only the love for tennis but also for the good cause of giving children a better start in education and in life. I feel privileged to have other leading philanthropists on board to entertain millions of people in the stadium and on TV. It will be a once‐in-lifetime moment for my family and I.”
Nadal said: “Roger and I have shared so many magical moments on and off the court. Travelling with him to Cape Town and playing for the benefit of children is something I am very excited about. It will be my first time in the region with Roger as a tour guide – that will be fun.”
Federer and Nadal have played in five previous charity matches around the world, but the Cape Town showdown called the 'Match in Africa 6' will be the first in Africa.
Tickets for the much-anticipated clash will go on sale in early September and are expected to be in high demand.
The stadium has a capacity in excess of 50 000 spectators which would comfortably set a new world record for a charity match, eclipsing the current record which was set in 2010 at the Roi Baudoin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium when local star Kim Clijsters played American Serena Williams.
In their 39 head-to-head matches to date, Nadal holds a 24-15 advantage.
