In Pictures: Roger Federer makes surprise appearance at Moët & Chandon gala with his mother and friend Marco Chiudinelli

Retired tennis legend Roger Federer made a surprise appearance on Tuesday, November 29, at French winery brand Moët & Chandon's Effervescence Event. The gala was held at the Kunsthaus Zürich for the auction of the brand's 'Golden Methuselah' champagne bottle to raise funds for the Roger Federer Foundation.

Federer, a long-time ambassador of the brand, attended the event with his mother, Lynette Federer, and close friend and former tennis player, Marco Chiudinelli.

Photos of the 20-time Grand Slam champion at the event have emerged on social media. The Instagram handle @darthfederer has posted snapshots of Roger, Lynette and Chuidinelli mingling with other celebrities at the champagne gala, captioning the post:

"Some more brilliant pictures of Roger at Moët & Chandon’s Effervescence Event!🍾🥂 The 'Golden Methuselah' champagne bottle, as seen on slide 6, was auctioned to raise funds for the Roger Federer Foundation!

"Roger was also joined by his mum, close friend and ex-Swiss tennis player, Marco Chiudinelli, and many more celebrities and singers!"

Interestingly, the Swiss maestro's arrival was completely unexpected and his appearance sent the guests into a tizzy as they made a dash to take selfies with Federer. The former World No. 1 engaged in small talk with many of the people present, including moderator Christa Rigozzi, a Swiss model and actress.

Here are a few more moments of Federer at the party:

Federer also made a speech, thanking Moët & Chandon for organizing the event and ensuring that the proceeds from the auction benefit his foundation that promotes basic education and early learning in Switzerland and southern Africa.

You can find a video of his speech here:

Federer's association with the luxury winery brand goes back nearly a decade. The Swiss icon made his debut for Moët & Chandon in March 2013 and has been closely involved with them ever since. The brand has previously also helped Federer raise funds for his foundation through his 'The Match For Africa' series.

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Moët & Chandon made a video tribute for Roger Federer ahead of his retirement

Roger Federer after winning the ATP Fans' Favorite award at a previous edition of the ATP Finals presented by Moet & Chandon

Moët & Chandon also stepped in to make an emotional tribute to Roger Federer ahead of his retirement at the Laver Cup in September.

The video featured some of the greatest moments from the maestro's career. It was narrated by 22-time Major champion Rafael Nadal, tennis legend Rod Laver and Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

The special #ToastToRoger video also had the likes of South African rugby union captain Siya Kolisi and Federer's mother Lynette wishing him a happy farewell from the tour.

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