What do you do after winning 103 ATP singles titles, 20 Grand Slam singles titles, and a record eight men's singles Wimbledon titles? What’s next after a 24-year career where you were World No. 1 for more than 300 weeks?
You give back. Roger Federer has been very open about his desire to give as much back to the game of tennis as it’s given him, as well as his broader inspiration to give back to society as a whole.
With this in mind, he’s teamed up again with long-time partner Mercedes-Benz to launch the initiative "Neon Legacy".
If you were lucky enough to attend this Autumn’s historic Laver Cup, you may have spotted a tennis-ball yellow Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PERFORMANCE on display. If you looked a little closer, you’ll have also caught sight of Roger Federer's personal signet on the car.
Well, on Saturday 26 November, 2022, this one-of-one Mercedes finished in a bespoke Electric Beam neon-yellow paintwork was auctioned off at RM Sotheby's in Munich. Fetching a hammer price of €253,000, naturally all proceeds are going to a good cause. Specifically, they’re being invested in the refurbishment of a public tennis court in London, which will enable tennis enthusiasts of all ages to improve their game by playing on a high-quality court.
The renovation and refurbishing of the street court, located in Bostall Gardens, is in collaboration with renowned post-graffiti artistic duo Low Bros – brothers Christoph and Florin Schmidt from Berlin.
Roger says of the partnership: “I am grateful for all the support during my 24 years of professional tennis and excited to be able to return this gratitude in the next chapters of my life. I am honoured and proud to have a long-time partner in Mercedes-Benz, who shares these same values through their commitment to supporting the needs of our communities.”
The auction of the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PERFORMANCE and the investment of the proceeds in the London project are only the beginning of the joint initiative between the two, with further projects already planned for next year.
Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Marketing & Sales, says: "For the past 14 years, we’ve built a strong relationship of appreciation, mutual respect and trust with Roger. And now, we’re adding another dimension to our partnership: we’ve got a shared goal of doing good work together and giving back to society and the community – which is what we’re doing with the Neon Legacy initiative."
Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Marketing & Sales alongside Roger Federer
She continues: "However, Neon Legacy is by far not our only way of giving back to society by connecting the love for cars with charitable works.
"Last May, for example, we auctioned a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé – proceeds from this auction will be donated to fund a new fellowship to support young people who are committed to creating a more sustainable future.
"We will share more details in early 2023 – but I can already say that the United Kingdom will play a key part in this fellowship right from the start."
For more information, see mercedes-benz.com
