Roger Federer Foundation raises $4.7 million for charity, Swiss legend says he's "overwhelmed by the generosity"

A two-phase Christie's auction helped raise a total of $4.7 million for the Roger Federer Foundation. The auction, which was held online between June 23-July 14, featured several personal items that the tennis legend had put up for sale.

All proceedings from the auction will go towards the foundation's ongoing projects aimed at educating young children in southern Africa and Switzerland. Roger Federer issued the following statement on the opening day of the auction:

"Every piece in these auctions represents a moment in my tennis career and enables me to share a part of my personal archive with my fans around the world," Federer said.

"More importantly, the proceeds will support The Roger Federer Foundation to help us continue to deliver educational resources to children in Africa and Switzerland."

Among the biggest draws at the auction were Federer's outfit and rackets from his 2007 Wimbledon and 2009 Roland Garros final victories, as well as the cardigan that he wore during his 2012 Wimbledon triumph.

The aforementioned items were auctioned during a special live sale on June 23 and contributed to raising a whopping $2.3 million in a single day.

Federer's outfit and racket from the 2007 Wimbledon final attracted one of the biggest bids.

A total of 300 other items were auctioned off over the course of the next few weeks via an online auction that attracted bidders from over 44 countries, according to an official statement by Christie's.

"I am overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm of the support from around the world" - Roger Federer

Roger Federer said in a recent statement that he and his team had started the collection, which Christie's described as one of the most important single-owner collections of sporting memorabilia, with the hope of doing "something meaningful."

Federer thanked his fans and participants for their generosity of support.

The Swiss expressed his gratitude to everyone who participated in the auction, saying:

"The prices achieved have been unbelievable. We started collecting items which accompanied me on court because we thought that perhaps one day we could do something meaningful with them. I am overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm of the support from around the world," Federer in an official statement.