Roger Federer gives subtle response to climate crisis criticism from Greta Thunberg

Tennis legend Roger Federer, who was on a holiday recently, will return to the sport when he participates in an exhibition tournament to raise funds for the Australia bushfires victims. He will be joining Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and other tennis stars like Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Even before he begins his 2020 season, he has already made headlines after being slammed by 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg.

Also Read: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams To Raise Funds For Australian Bushfire Crisis

Greta Thunberg takes a dig at Roger Federer

Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environmental activist, criticized Federer for endorsing Credit Suisse. It is a bank which invests money in companies that are looking for new fossil fuel deposits. Thunberg retweeted a tweet from 350.org Europe, which has given below -

Roger Federer responds to Greta Thunberg  

Roger Federer responded to criticism from Greta Thunberg, saying he is “happy to be reminded” of his responsibilities. Federer, who has a sponsorship deal with Credit Suisse, was urged to “wake up” in a Twitter post by Thunberg last week.

According to BBC Sport, the 38-year-old, who is preparing for the Australian Open, issued a statement saying he had a “great deal of respect and admiration” for the youth climate movement inspired by Thunberg.

He further said that he takes the impacts and threat of climate change very seriously and added that he appreciates reminders of his responsibility as a private individual, as an athlete and as an entrepreneur. He also said he is committed to using this privileged position to dialogue on important issues with his sponsors.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal Cracks Roger Federer Joke After Receiving Sportsmanship Award At ATP Cup

Credit Suisse issues statement 

Credit Suisse has said that it is seeking to align its loan portfolios with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. It also recently announced in the context of its global climate strategy, it will no longer invest in new coal-fired power plants. The statement could reduce mounting public pressure on Federer.

Also Read: Roger Federer Set To Become First 'billionaire' Player In History Of Tennis

Roger Federer to play an exhibition game for Australia bushfires donation

Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal will also be making their contributions by playing an exhibition match ahead of the Australian Open. The other players to play in the exhibition event are Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

ATP on Sunday donated USD US500,000 ($A725,000) to the WWF Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund as part of the bushfire relief efforts, the governing body of men’s tennis says. The donation from players was announced by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal after Serbia defeated Spain to capture the inaugural ATP Cup team event in Sydney.

Also Read: Roger Federer Has The Most Expensive Tennis Racket Strings; Here's How Much He Pays