Cricket
Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev packed the Plaza de Toros — a literal bullring — in Mexico City as they created a tennis-record with 42,517 people attending the "The Greatest Match."
Updated : Nov 25, 2019, 06:35 PM IST | Edited by : Karen Noronha
Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev packed the Plaza de Toros — a literal bullring — in Mexico City as they created a tennis-record with 42,517 people attending the "The Greatest Match."
The 20-time Grand Slam winner recovered from a shaky start to came out on top 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 versus the German.
Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev have a set a new World record: 42.000 people attenting their exhibition match in Mexico City pic.twitter.com/dszt5TFQBo
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) November 24, 2019
Federer, Zverev smashed an almost decade-old record of 35,681 set at an exhibition game between Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters in Brussels, Belgium in 2010.
“You are an incredible audience, your support has given me goosebumps, I do not have enough words to thank you,” Federer said after the match.
“It means the world for us and tennis to get to write history in Mexico,” Federer was quoted having told the crowd. “It has been 23 years I haven’t come to Mexico and what an error I made. It gave me the opportunity to play in front of one of the best crowds, I have chills.”
The champion even expressed his experience of playing in Mexico on Twitter as he wrote, "I will never forget this magical evening in Mexico City with @AlexZverev 42’517 people came, We broke this record together! Viva Mexico".
I will never forget this magical evening in Mexico City with @AlexZverev
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) November 24, 2019
42’517 people came,
We broke this record together!
Viva Mexico
pic.twitter.com/z6GJ6Yfq7P
So far, Federer and Zverev have hit Santiago, Chile, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, in addition to Mexico City. They were scheduled for Bogota, Colombia, on Friday, but a curfew was imposed amid protests in the city.
The tour's final stop, on Sunday, will be Quito, Ecuador.