On Wednesday the 5th of February, Young Reporters Alex and Qaqamba, along with Senior Content Producer Yolie, had the privilege of welcoming well-renowned tennis player Rodger Federer at Cape Town International Airport, ahead of his match against Rafael Nadal that took place on the 7th of February. The match was held in support of raising funds for the Federer Foundation, which is an organisation that supports educational projects, not only in South Africa but also Switzerland.
The Match in Africa had everyone in Cape Town buzzing since it was announced last year, and it was definitely no exception for these RX Radio Reporters who were the youngest reporters at the press conference at the airport. Both Alex and Qaqamba had the opportunity to ask the star tennis player some questions. “It teaches you to be resilient, winning and losing, fair play, work ethic, listening, learning” said Federer. He also added that one needs to dream big as an athlete: “there is a lot of people that will always tell you that maybe you will not make it… at some stage you need to go your own path.”
The much anticipated live match between Federer and Nadal took place on Friday the 7th of February which Yolie, Alex and Qaqamba also had the privilege of attending. They witnessed the doubles showdown between Comedian Trevor Noah and Nadal against Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, and Federer. This experience was certainly nothing short of sensational and hilarious – with Trevor Noah cracking jokes throughout the match.
Alex and Qaqamba also had the honour of interviewing both Nadal and Federer on the day of the event – both before and after the match. Alex had asked Nadal what message he’d give to the children of South Africa and to children around world and he said that “… to put two rivals together for a good cause is always a joy… it keeps the positivity.” He also mentioned that his friendship with Federer will last beyond his tennis career because of the positivity and the love for sport that has been shared between the two. In the end it was Rodger Federer who was victorious as he won both the doubles match with Bill Gates, as well as the singles match against Nadal.
Aside from the two tennis matches – which broke a world record with the highest number of spectator for tennis – there were also a lot of performances that kept the crowd entertained, including ones from the Ndlovu Youth Choir and the Zip Zap Circus. With all of this entertainment, the Match In Africa raised over $3 million. It is safe to say that this experience has taught many people the importance of sportsmanship and that coming together for one cause can make a difference. This once in a lifetime opportunity is something RX Radio will definitely not forget.