15th May, 2012
Roger Federer celebrated rising to second in the men’s tennis world rankings with a special new suit, courtesy of Hollywood star Will Smith.
The American actor was in town to see the 30-year-old recover from a set down against Tomas Berdych to claim the Madrid Open title for a third time.
The victory vaulted Federer beyond longtime rival Rafael Nadal in the ATP list, while signficantly narrowing the gap on world Number 1 Novak Djokovic.
The Swiss great was rewarded with the tournament’s bizarre golden-spiked Ion Tiriac trophy, before landing an even stranger prize as Smith joined him on court.
After sharing pleasantries with the 16-time grand slam champion, Smith took the mic to present Federer with the suit, which was held in a large frame.
Addressing the Spanish crowd in its native language, Smith said, “Hello Spain. I’m very happy to be here.”
Turning to Federer he said, “I have a very special present. This is my suit from my latest movie, ‘Men in Black III.’ From me, to you. Congratulations.”
Smith was in attendance in the Spanish capital amid a European press tour for the movie.