Regrettably, I've decided not to participate in the French Open. I've been working really hard, both on and off the court, during the last month but in order to try and play on the ATP World Tour for many years to come, I feel it's best to skip the clay court season this year and prepare for the grass and hard court seasons. The start to the year has been magical for me but I need to recognize that scheduling will be the key to my longevity moving forward. Thus, my team and I concluded today that playing just one event on clay was not in the best interest of my tennis and physical preparation for the remainder of the season. I will miss the French fans, who have always been so supportive and I look forward to seeing them at Roland Garros next year.

Roger

The Barilla Group has reached a long-term agreement with Roger Federer, considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, for the promotion of its pasta and sauces products around the world.

Throughout his long and brilliant career, Roger has won numerous titles and achieved many records: he holds the record for number of weeks as the world’s no. 1 tennis player (302) and he has won 91 singles titles, including a record 18 Grand Slam titles. He has also won two Olympic medals. So far in 2017, he has already won three singles titles, including the Australian Open in January.

"For years it has been my dream that Roger could join Barilla in the fascinating mission of helping people eat better, in favor of their health and the sustainability of the Planet," said Vice Chairman Luca Barilla. "Now this dream has come true."

Sport is energy, drive, commitment. Pasta is not just an essential food for athletes: it is an indispensable source of carbohydrates for everyone. At the heart of the Mediterranean diet, pasta tastes good and is good for people's health and for the health of the Planet.

For Luca Barilla “Roger is an extraordinary person and athlete who, during his long career, has demonstrated principles and a conduct that have enabled him to conquer the hearts of millions of people in the world. We are confident that his values and global star power, coupled with our history and our way of doing business, will be of great help in bringing Barilla even further into its mission."

“Barilla pasta and sauces provide the energy that I need to succeed on the tennis court and enjoy my family’s favorite activities. Pasta has been part of my daily diet for so many years that this partnership is a natural. I am excited to be joining forces with Barilla. They are the best in the business,” said Roger Federer.

Starting with its sponsorship of football team AS Roma, which won the Italian Serie A title in the 1982-83 season, the Barilla Group has often worked with leading figures from the world of sport. From Alberto Tomba in skiing, to tennis players Steffi Graf and Stefan Edberg; from Francesco Moser in cycling, to the more recent partnerships with Alex Zanardi, Federica Pellegrini, Ricardo Kakà, Stephan El Shaarawy, Thomas Müller and Mikaela Shiffrin. Since 2015, Barilla has also been the main sponsor of the Italian national basketball teams.

The Barilla Group was founded 140 years ago in Parma out of a shop that made bread and pasta, Barilla is today among the top Italian food groups: leader for pasta in the world, pasta sauces in continental Europe, bakery products in Italy, and the crisp bread business in Scandinavia. The Barilla Group owns 28 production sites (14 in Italy and 14 abroad) and exports to more than 100 countries. Every year, its plants turn out around 1,700,000 tons of food products that are consumed on tables all over the world, under the following brand names: Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Harrys, Pavesi, Wasa, Filiz, Yemina and Vesta, Misko, Voiello, Academia Barilla.

When the first shop opened in 1877, Pietro Barilla focused on making good food. Today, this has evolved into the way of doing business for the Barilla Group: “Good for You, Good for the Planet.” “Good for You” means constantly improving our products, motivating people to adopt healthy lifestyles and improving food access and social inclusion. “Good for the Planet” means promoting sustainable supply chains and reducing the amount of CO2 we emit and water we consume during production.

Seattle, Washington -- April 29, 2017

Over 14,000 fans were treated to a night loaded with tennis, entertainment and laughs all to raise money for the Roger Federer Foundation.

Some highlights of the night included the talented guitarist from Pearl Jam, Mike McCready, kicking things off when he played the National Anthem. The audience was also treated to performances from One World Dance and Drum, Seattle Blue Thunder, Josh Vietti and DJ Toby Fresh.

The Celebrity doubles match featured Roger teaming up with Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, as they took on the team of John Isner and Mike McCready. In a close set, the crowd was engaged and enjoyed watching as the celebrities held their own on the court. Roger and Gates ended up taking the win, 6-4.

The main event was a competitive singles match between the 18-time Grand Slam Swiss star matching up against the big serving American. While just an exhibition with no ATP points on the line, the crowd was treated to high quality play from both players. Roger was on fire and hit many mesmerizing shots and came away with a 6-4, 7-6 (7) victory.

"I feel very privileged to be back on a tennis court," said Roger. "Last year was extremely difficult, having had surgery and the knee never healing. Then I had back pain too, and it all got too much at Wimbledon and I was out for six months but was able to spend some incredible time with the family and start preparing for this season and hoping that the work that I put in the off season was gonna really pay off. All of a sudden you get in this position where you feel like you really lucky to be playing on the prod tour and maybe you can actually do more and give back."

Between the laughs and high quality tennis, the Match for Africa 4 was a success and raised over $2 million for the Roger Federer Foundation which supports educational projects in the region of southern Africa and Switzerland. An archived version of the event can be watched here.