Federer hopes to meet Mandela on foundation visit

Roger Federer is travelling to South Africa at the weekend and hopes to meet Nelson Mandela during his stay. The Swiss star will travel to Johannesburg to visit one of his foundation’s projects.

"I'm really hoping to be able to meet Nelson Mandela. We have been reaching out to him," Federer told South African Press. "It would be amazing and a dream come true. I only have a few days, but I want to visit one of the projects of the foundation. I'm looking forward to it since I haven't been to South Africa in some time."

Federer’s foundation supports nine projects in Africa and benefits 14,000 children in South Africa, the country of his mother’s birth. Federer also visited Africa in 2010, when he travelled to Ethiopia to see the work of his foundation.

On his return from South Africa, Federer will compete at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he has won the title five times.

Date: 16th February 2013, Source: ATP