Roger Federer responds to Greta Thunberg criticism: “I am misused”
Tennis veteran Roger Federer has responded mounting scrutiny regarding his controversial partnership with Swiss bank Credit Suisse after he was criticised by Greta Thunberg last month.
In January, a group of climate activists raided a Credit Suisse office in Switzerland to protest against the bank's investments in fossil fuels.
The dozen of activists began to play tennis in a stiff call-out to Federer as they urged him to cut ties with the institution which they claim has provided over $85 billion to companies searching for new fossil fuel deposits.
Brandishing banners read: "Credit Suisse is destroying the planet. Roger, do you support them?"
Thunberg would soon retweet the initial post from 350.org, asking Federer to "wake up now".
That gave birth to the hashtag #RogerWakeUpNow which was quick to begin trending on Twitter.
Prior to the Australian Open the 38-year-old had touched on the incident claiming that he was open to "innovative solutions" to climate change and discussing "important issues" with Credit Suisse.
"I take the impacts and threat of climate change very seriously, particularly as my family and I arrive in Australia amid devastation from the bush fire," Federer said in a statement to Reuters.
But before his charity exhibition match against Rafael Nadal in South Africa over the weekend, the Swiss Maestro doubled own on his stance, and argued his persona was being leveraged.
However before he began his charity exhibition match against Rafael Nadal in South Africa over the weekend, he argued his personal was being leveraged.
"I am sometimes misused for certain purposes," Federer told Swiss publication Tages Anzeiger.
"When I help one person, I am criticised for not doing it with others. I have reached a point where I have to think carefully about what I am doing.
"But I also have to be able to overlook criticism. I can't be everywhere, I can't do everything. I am also a father and tennis player.
"I am aware that I can make a difference, take the microphone and address certain things. But I can't do that all the time.
"It is important that you choose the right things at the right time and get your message across in a fair way. Not by attacking others.
"I know I can make a difference with my popularity. For others, for the planet, for the animals. And I think it's good what has recently been raised about collective consciousness."
Federer’s charity initiative at Cape Town Stadium was to raise money for the Roger Federer Foundation.
His organisation supports early childhood education in six African countries.
The foundation was hoping to top $US1 million from the exhibition. It raised a whopping $US3.5 million.