Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal attracted what organisers said was a world record crowd for a tennis match when they played an exhibition event in the Cape Town Stadium.
The organisers said an audited attendance of 51,954 beat the 42,517 who watched Federer play Alexander Zverev of Germany in Mexico City last November. They also announced that the 'Match in Africa' raised USD 3.5-million for the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports educational and athletic programmes for children in Africa.
"To have 51,954 people in attendance at a tennis match, I never thought I'd be apart of something like that," said Federer.
"It's not something you dream about. Federer, who was accompanied by his South African mother, Lynette, said his first appearance in South Africa was a special occasion.
"The first time here in Cape Town, in South Africa, means so much more than just tennis," he said. Federer won 6-4 3-6 6-3 the stadium that was built for the 2010 FIFAl World Cup.
