Roger Federer encourages wearing of masks after receiving one from his sponsors

Roger Federer might not be participating in the US Open this year, but as always, he has been in the news – for both good and bad reasons. The Swiss maestro, who last played competitive tennis in the 2020 Australian Open, is currently at home as he recovers after his knee surgery.

However, Roger Federer has found ways to keep himself busy while he's been away from the court. One of the most marketable athletes in the world, the 39-year-old continues to attract lucrative deals from various brands, even during the COVID-19 enforced lockdown.

On Thursday, Roger Federer was seen promoting the masks he received from Uniqlo, one of his sponsors. The Swiss showed off the safety gear on his Instagram stories, while also talking about the convenience of using them amid the global health crisis.

"My family is so happy that they are washable, come in different sizes and will be available globally very soon," Federer wrote in praise of the masks.

Roger Federer encouraged the usage of masks in his latest Instagram story

In 2018, Roger Federer signed a massive deal worth $300 million with Uniqlo, which tied him to the brand for the next 10 years. "We feel the greatest impact of Roger Federer is yet to come. Of course, it will be fueled by his status as the greatest of all time, but Roger's ability to bring positive change to the world is his future and ours," John Jay, the head of Uniqlo, had said at the time.

Jay's words are now coming true, as the Swiss superstar has used his powerful position to promote the wearing of masks during the coronavirus contagion. Federer's post might also help in doing some damage control, after he was spotted skirting social distancing norms earlier this year.

Roger Federer was recently criticized for attending a public event without a mask

In July this year, Federer was seen interacting with fans and signing autographs at a media event - while ignoring social distancing rules. Neither the Swiss nor anyone assembled in the crowd had a mask on, which made many question the message that the pictures were sending across.

Al igual que se dijo cuando Djokovic, esto también debe hacerse.Roger Federer se tomó fotos con aficionados, sin usar él mascarilla ni guardar la distancia de más de un metro. Además, se le ve cómo le ofrecen agarrar el boli de otra persona para un autógrafo. Mal. pic.twitter.com/u7FxByL7uD

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) July 9, 2020

While his actions came under scrutiny at the time, Federer steered clear of making any comments about the issue. In that context, the recent Instagram story promoting the use of masks might help the Swiss earn some brownie points and end the mini-controversy for good.