Federer to donate US$500,000 to support Ukrainian children

Roger Federer will be donating US$500,000 through his foundation to ensure children affected by the war in Ukraine are provided with care and access to education, the former world number one said on Friday (Mar 18).

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said earlier this week that nearly 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine, about 7 per cent of the country's population, since Russia's invasion began on Feb 24.

"My family and I are horrified seeing pictures from Ukraine and heartbroken for the innocent people who have been so terribly affected. We stand for peace," Federer said on Twitter.

"We will provide assistance to children from Ukraine who need care, about 6 million Ukrainian children are currently out of school and we know it's a very critical time to provide access to education and would like to support them to deal with this extremely traumatic experience.

"Through the Roger Federer Foundation we will be supporting War Child Holland with a donation of US$500,000 to establish access to continued schooling for Ukrainian children."

Andy Murray, another former world number one and an ambassador for UNICEF UK, said last week that he would donate his prize money won from tennis tournaments in 2022 towards aid efforts for children affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Federer, 40, has not played since Wimbledon last year after undergoing knee surgery.

The 20-times Grand Slam winner had been looking to make his return for the grasscourt swing this year but his coach Severin Luthi said earlier this month that a return at Wimbledon may be unlikely as the Swiss was still in the rehabilitation phase.